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HIS RETURN 


THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD 
By HOLMAN HUNT 
(From the original”painting at Keble College, Oxford, England) 





HIS RETURN 


A Story of the Second Coming 
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DAVID A. MURRAY, D.D. 


Author of ‘* The Supernatural,”’ “‘ Christian Faith and 
the New Psychology,” etc., etc. 





CHICAGO 
THE STANLEY PUBLISHING COMPANY 
MCMXXV 


Copyright, 1925 
BY 


DAVID A. MURRAY 
Printed in the U.S. A. 


FOREWORD 


Many people look forward eagerly for the Sec- 
ond Coming of the Christ. There is great attraction 
to us in the splendor of the event and in the ideal 
social conditions that are to follow, but much more 
in the privilege of personal fellowship with Jesus. 

We take for granted that if alive when He comes 
we would see Him and see the glory of His descent. 
In our mental picture we are among those near Him, 
in free and frequent intercourse with Him. Un- 
consciously, perhaps, we conceive conditions such 
as there would be if He were returning to a little 
community the size of the early disciple group, and 
we imagine much the same kind of intimate com- 
panionship with Him that those first disciples and 
other friends had. It is this conception which makes 
the return of Christ such a precious hope to many. 

But this is a very big world, and there are very 
many people in it. The question intrudes itself: 
Would all this be feasible and practicable for us? 
Or is our conception of what would occur largely a 
romantic, visionary idealization that would be im- 
possible under the conditions of this world? 

Certainly it would not be wrong to honestly and 
soberly try to picture and reason out just what would 


FOREWORD 


happen if Christ came, what could happen, what 
would happen in our town, what we personally would 
see, what results would ensue in our community, in 
our country, and in all the other countries of the 
world. In this story the attempt has been made to 
do just that, to conceive realistically and yet sym- 
pathetically just what would be likely to occur if 
Jesus came back to the earth. 

At the beginning of the story some snap-shot 
pictures are given of warm, efficient Christian activ- 
ity under the inspiration of Christ now present by 
His Spirit, to furnish a background to the portrayal 
of what would result from a material, physical pres- 
ence. 


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CONTENTS 


PART I 
PAGE 
Gonmittee eet e a eran yee uke Ue a tg 2 
Christian | Indeavorie i cinta Weloke Mian cae 4 
Institutional Caren eh oui Nant A a Sn way 9 
Norton and Margaret........... PC Re ae ait oh 11 
Brotherhood and Church Activities............ 13 
Stir tnbright sy Cables Wao ii) Cen my 16 
ne Mbent PLCACHer irl. wie cuevesian spare tats tihein taro 19 
Nirus Vy Abers and) Norton) Mii amu agile ah ayy Q4 
Roe WHALEON SN WALETS aire ue ie iin Nahe huey 27 
DOES SW Marcon SVOeTIOOn ie UaNL) hoy eS GTN tays ee 33 
Dr. Goodyear’s Premillennial Talk............ 37 

PART II 
Advent of the Christ Cabled from Italy........ 44 
Norton’s S. S. Class and Dr. Goodyear......... 45 
Norton andthe Jndge: Discuss! a7i\5 aise bn 48 
More Accounts of the Descent..'. 0.0 6). 0). 04 54 
The wudge very nougntiuls Cait hs lei a 57 
Further Particulars, Mohammedans Elated.... 59 
Bank Inquires about Messiah’s Program....... 65 
Peters Speech ict cise en iela miles tie Satta ale | 72 
Commission Calls on the Messiah............. 76 

PART III 
Hisievane Ller Pe rienths vive ee mei Antal ets Votud 8 80 
Uncle John, Gertrude and Welton............ 82 
Great Building. Mohammedans Accept Messiah 87 
Solomon Abrams. Bender and Foley.......... 92 
Wari0Qs il ClEGTAmAS his says ertaly atau ea Mua una 95 


Second Audience. German Emperor.......... 97 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 
Waters and the Labor Unions................ 101 
Letter from India Mission. Jews’ Prospects..... 106 
Messiah Heals Two. More Telegrams......... 109 
Dr. Goodyear’s Journey. Call for Meeting..... 112 
Effects in the Churches. Discussion........... 114 
New Movement in Italy. Heals Leper......... 121 

PART IV 
Ruth's Letter ices ecu tinue 4 aaa Ce en 126 
Meeting at Gayety Theatre... 005 Gee 128 
Various Nations Accept the Messiah........... 131 
Religious Conversion of the Nations........... 140 
Gotky's (Strikes cis seleiasle gate aver che at nena 143 
Thompsons Start to Jerusalem............... 145 
Nominations for Officials. Great Crowds....... 147 
Elsie’s Friends ‘Plan Journey... 2...) aan 149 
falk after, Prayer’ Meeting. 0/2.) 04a ee 152 
Destruction of Moscow.) ..) 2. yee ye oe 155 

PART V 
Thompsons Travel as Far as Jaffa............ 158 
Aaron Isaacson, Vicegerent in the U.S......... 161 
Mr. Kendricks’ Letter from Jerusalem........ 164 
Elsie’s Party Travel as Far as Naples......... 167 
Margaret and Helen veins cit owi. sine 170 
Thompsons to: Jerusalem\ 2.0/0. 22). oo a eae 176 
Find: They, Must) Returne it 70220.) eee 180 
Wilkie Ln rN ae uiscoieietareey: Shia oly emanates en 183 
Kendricks’ etter io /csicy sn elt. eine ee 186 

PART VI 
Norton Goes to Jerusalem. .)..3/)....). 90 ee 190 
Elsie's) Story so siv's'. sebeeide eicle sie Cine ene eee 191 
Morning ital cit pee elites tag chiar or eee 197 
Sermon and Communion). )i ue eee eee 199 
Talk with Dr. Wharton on Prophecy.......... 202 
Margareta’) Dream ic foie nie os cee 207 


Consul at Bangkok oat cle eee 210 


PART, I 


Love is the fulfilling of the law. 
Rom. 18:8 & 10. 


HIS RETURN 


A Story of the Second Coming 
I 


The peace of Sabbath evening. Long shadows 
stretching down the quiet street, with quivering 
flecks of sunshine. The clack of footsteps on the 
concrete, and scraps of conversation. 

‘““Why weren’t you up at Edith’s last night? You 
missed it. We had a dandy time.” 

“T’m sorry. But you know I’m on the basketball 
team now, and they won’t let me dissipate.” 

“Is Jack coming?” 

“Yes. He started before I did. Aren’t we late?” 

“I guess not. There are Norton and Margaret 
just coming.” 

“T wonder if they will stay with us in the society 
after they are married.” 

“T hope so. We would be awfully sorry to lose 
them.” 

A trim lawn and smooth walk led up to a broad 
porch shaded with vines. Good-fellowship relieved 
the necessity of ringing, but the hostess, Marjorie, 
met them in the entry and shunted them into a large, 
cheerful front room. 

2 


HIS RETURN 3 


Three or four were already there. It was the 
Executive Committee of the Christian Endeavor 
Society, the officers and heads of the committees. 
They were accustomed to meet for conference and 
devotions fifteen minutes before the general meet- 
ing. They had met here frequently before, and 
knew where to find the bowl of fudge and chocolates 
on the mantel, and the pitcher of lemonade clinking 
with ice, by the window. 

All adapted themselves to divans, window seats, 
~ hassocks and chairs, and when the buzz had subsided 
a little the president arose and announced that it 
was time to begin. 

They were mostly from the high school or of 
about that age, though some had graduated and had 
been out in practical work a few years. I don’t need 
to describe their meeting, for it was just the ordinary 
familiar program. The first part of the time was 
devoted to short “Sentence Prayers,” in which all 
were expected to engage. Some of us, perhaps, 
would have noted the absence of the pious whine 
which we usually consider essential to divine service. 
They were more accustomed to the frank directness 
of the tennis and baseball environment, and worded 
their petitions in ordinary talk, and with a famil- 
larity of address that seemed almost like comrade- 
ship. But I suppose that really is scriptural, and 
doesn’t seem out of place after one gets accustomed 
to it. 


4, HIS RETURN 


Next, reports were made of work done and other 
items of interest. A letter had been received from 
the missionary they were helping to support out in 
China. This would be read at the general meeting. 
Burt and Ruth came in late, but reported visits made 
during the week with flowers to homes where there 
was sickness. Hlsie told of some amusing incidents 
that occurred among the little “nursery tots.” Her 
committee of girls took turns on Sabbath mornings 
in taking care of some of the little ones, so that their 
mothers could attend the church service. A little 
routine business had to be attended to, and plans 
discussed for some special charitable work the so- 
ciety was about to undertake. 


II 


When their conference was over, it was a couple 
of blocks to the church. The general meeting had 
begun when they arrived, and the leader had just 
risen and announced a hymn: 


“QO Jesus, I have promised 
To serve Thee to the end. 
Be Thou forever near me 
My master and my friend. 
I shall not fear the battle 
If Thou art by my side, 
Nor wander from the pathway 
If Thou wilt be my guide.” 





HIS RETURN 5 


After the reading of a scripture portion, one of 
the girls sang a solo: 


“In the secret of His presence 
How my soul delights to hide. 
O how precious are the moments 
Which I spend at Jesus’ side.” 


It was the usual program. After one or two more 
hymns, there were verses of scripture repeated: 


‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these ye 
have done it unto Me.” 

“TY can do all things through Christ, who strength- 
eneth me.” 

‘Where two or three are gathered together in My 
name there am I in the midst of them.” 


Then the ordinary miscellaneous exercises. Here 
again there was the same frankness in the testi- 
monies, and the same colloquial realism in the 
prayers, as though Jesus was right there and heard 
them. Youth, some way, seems to be fond of the 
literal and the genuine. 

When the time came for reports, the chairman 
of the Missionary Committee arose and announced: 

“T have just received a letter from our missionary 
in Cheng Foo, China. Do you wish me to read it?” 

“Oh, yes, read it by all means.” 

They were very fortunate in having a missionary 
that was a good correspondent. Some missionaries 
are not. But I suppose we must excuse them for 


6 | HIS RETURN 


being so busy doing the work that they haven’t much 
time to write about it. Besides, the incidents that 
would be so interesting and thrilling to read about 
here are just the common ordinary day’s work with 
them, and, even aside from the fact that they have 
but little spare time, they never think of writing 
about them. 

The work of the Cheng Foo station had thus far 
been very discouraging. Dr. Martin and the others 
had tried every device, but could not seem to awaken 
any interest. The people were so superstitious, most 
of them extremely poor, their lives clouded by sin, 
cruelty, ignorance and fear. They would not even 
allow Dr. Martin to see and treat their sick. 

But a great event happened. They have storks 
out in China as well as here, and one of them had 
made a visit to the Martin home. 

Now the real trouble with the poor Chinese people 
was that they did not look upon these foreigners 
as human beings. They were not the same kind of 
creatures as themselves, and they could see no con- 
nection. Why should they listen to their teaching? 
Of course their style of living and of acting was 
very fine, just as a painting is fine to look at. These 
clean, kind, honest and loving habits were natural 
for that kind of creatures, just as it is natural for a 
bird to fly or a fish to swim. But they were not that 
land of creatures, so there was nothing to be done 
about it. Besides, they had heard a good many 


HIS RETURN 7 


stories about these foreigners catching children and 
cutting out their eyes to make medicine, and doing 
other terrible things, so it was just as well to keep 
away from them. 

But when they heard of the new little baby their 
curiosity and interest was aroused, especially that 
of the women. The letter went on: 

“We never had been able to get any of them to 
come near our houses, but that day we saw one and 
another slyly walking around at a safe distance 
and trying to peek. We mstructed our faithful 
Chinese servants to encourage them, and after a long 
while two or three of the boldest of them cautiously 
crept up to the back door of the house, and with a 
great show of secrecy and care, a way was fixed so 
they could actually get a peep at the little infant. 
Pretty soon others came and still others, getting 
bolder and bolder as they saw there were no bad 
effects, till at last they came right into the room 
where the mother and baby were. 

“It was the beginning of the new era. They found 
out that we were human after all and did have some 
feelings in common with themselves. Eyrom that 
time on not only have there been better relations and 
frequent visitors of all classes at our homes, but Dr. 
Martin is kept busy all day dealing out medicine for 
both bodies and souls, the preaching place is well 
filled every night, and Mr. Telford has a list of over 
twenty earnest and intelligent inguirers whom he 


8 HIS RETURN 


expects to receive into the church at the next com- 
munion. You know it says in the Book: 


“A little child shall lead them.’ ” 


There was a round of applause for the baby 
when the letter was finished. One young lady 
jumped up and said: 

“TI move that we adopt that baby as one of our 
Honorary Members.” 

Another one said: 

“T second the motion, and propose that we send 
him a substantial ‘Birthday Present’ with our con- 
gratulations.” 

The motion was carried. Two boys immediately 
started around and took up an offering, which 
amounted to a good sum, and which was later for- 
warded to the board, to be sent to the Cheng Foo 
station to use for something as a Baby Martin 
Memorial. 

Of course it wasn’t the usual everyday thing for 
a meeting to have so much enthusiasm, and the 
society soon settled down to routine again. After 
a short talk by the leader, he gave out a hymn: 


“Y’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, 
Over mountain, or plain, or sea; 
Pll do what you want me to do, dear Lord, 
T’ll be what you want me to be.” 


and the meeting was closed in the usual way. 


HIS RETURN 9 


iif 

Now, I am sorry not to be able to say that all the 
members stayed for the evening service. Perhaps 
it was because their own pastor was absent and a 
stranger was to preach. Still, all but a half dozen 
did stay, and were very glad they did, as they were 
well rewarded. 

The preacher was the Rev. Wallace Barton, of 
Brooklyn, who for a number of years has been de- 
voting himself to what is called “Institutional 
Work,” and who spoke at length of that work as 
it is carried on in a number of centers in Brooklyn 
and New York City. 

ui . Jesus fed the hungry multitude, and also 
attended the feasts in the house of Simon and others. 
He cared about the temporal wants, and even the 
comfort and pleasures of men. We are doing His 
work when we try to brighten the lives and furnish 
some pleasure and clean diversion for people now. 
And some of them need it badly enough. The dreary 
social barrenness of the lives of thousands of girls 
and young men, working all day at monotonous 
tasks, with no home to go to but a dingy back bed- 
room in some slovenly boarding house! Some bright, 
cheerful rooms for social gatherings, where the 
young folks can meet to spend their evenings with 
music and innocent games and other diversions, may 
be just as truly a ‘House of God’ as the one that 
is devoted directly to worship and prayer. 


10 HIS RETURN 


“Jesus loved little children, and took them up in 
His arms, and we are certainly doing His will when 
we visit homes in the interest of Child Welfare, try 
to provide safe and wholesome places for them to 
play, and do what we can to brighten and uplift 
their young lives. 

“Jesus said to the poor sinner: 


‘Neither do | condemn thee. Go and sin no more.’ 


and is it not divine service now to stretch out a hand 
to the fallen, and try to give them a home and help 
and human sympathy that will hearten them and 
make it more possible for them to ‘Go and sin no 
more? ”’ 

The preacher indulged in no heroics, and made 
no attempt to work on the emotions, but just told 
a plain tale of what some churches are doing to 
“Give a cup of cold water” to the socially thirsty. 

He didn’t ask for any collection at the close, or 
propose to start any new organization, but quite a 
number of men went away from the meeting with 
some very serious, earnest thoughts. And it was 
noted that the “Sunshine Mission” over on Mill 
Street, that for a year or two had been rather pre- 
cariously dragging along, within the next few days 
received a number of. substantial contributions and 
a number of visits from substantial men whose en- 
couragement and backing did much to put it on its 
feet again. 


HIS RETURN 11 
IV 


Norton Craig was a rising young man, who had 
just been promoted to the post of teller in the First 
National Bank. He was the kind of man that is an 
asset in any circle, the kind that we feel safer and 
more comfortable if he is “on the committee,” or 
“has promised to see about it.” Not flashy, nor 
brilliant; rather slow, perhaps, in some things, but 
genial and efficient, and genuine all through. 

He was walking home after the service with the 
young lady to whom he was engaged. Both of them 
had been somewhat impressed by the occurrences 
of the day. Not that there had been anything very 
special, but yet some things had set them to think- 
ing rather soberly. 

“T suppose, when we get settled down in our own 
home they will hardly want us any more with the 
young folks in the Endeavor Society.” 

“T will surely be sorry for that,” said Margaret, 
his companion. 

She was a quiet, sensible girl, daughter of Judge 
Porter, a retired lawyer who had once been state 
senator, also district judge for many years. They 
had gone through high school together. He had 
gone on through college and came back a year ago 
to a position in the bank. She had taken three years 
in the Baltimore Conservatory, and was now staying 
at home assisting her father in the business that had 
insisted on following him into retirement. 


12 HIS RETURN 


“I, too,” said Norton, “will be awfully sorry to 
leave that bunch of young folks. They are so 
straight and genuine.” 

“People, as they grow older, get so advanced and 
sophisticated. I wonder if we will get that way, 
too, when we get out of that atmosphere.” 

“Their religion is as real and practical to them as 
their baseball. And the essence of it is just the per- 
sonal leadership of Jesus.” 

“That is a pretty practical thing. For it means 
trying to do the same kind of unselfish, helpful 
things that He did.” 

“Such, for instance, as the preacher tonight sug- 
gested.” 

“Yes, that is what He wants. This is His world 
and His people, and any kindness we do to any of 
them He sees, and He appreciates. Kindness and 
sympathy seemed to be His passion.” 

‘And His measure of value. Elsie and her girls 
taking care of the little tots to give the mothers a 
chance is perhaps pleasing Him quite as much as the 
leader of the big Men’s Bible Class.” 

“Isn't it fine that just the common things we do, 
just the courteous, friendly acts which make life 
more pleasant for those around us, are the things 
that please Him? And it gives a new meaning to 
all our acts to think that He sees and He cares.” 

After a little pause he added: 

“TI wonder if He hears us now talking about it?” 


HIS RETURN 13 


He felt a little pressure of her hand on his arm, 
and in a low voice she said: 

“Yes, we know He does. He is really here and 
sees us now. Isn’t it wonderful?’ 

They walked on in silence awhile. It is strange 
how sometimes thus an old and familiar truth will 
suddenly strike us with a force and meaning that 
rather startles us. 

Vv 

Like all live churches, the Brockton Immanuel 
Church had a program through the week. There 
were a number of guilds and societies, representing 
all sections of the membership and interesting them- 
selves in a number of lines of useful work. The 
“Brotherhood” or men’s club may be taken as a fair 
sample. It met on this Tuesday evening. 

It had started as just a monthly dinner and get- 
together to have a social time. But it seemed a waste 
to have so many good men together without doing 
something. From time to time one object and an- 
other had been presented before them by speakers 
and taken up by them, till now they had quite a list 
of social and community interests which they were 
fathering. 

Just now the subject of delinquent boys that 
come before the courts was engaging their attention. 
Many, perhaps most, of these boys are not really 
vicious. They get into mischief, and get into trouble, 
because they have nothing better to do. They are 


14 HIS RETURN 


boys and must do something, but with no good 
homes or clean environment they naturally drift into 
evil ways. ‘To send them to the common jail would 
be to confirm them in lives of crime. The reform 
school would be but little better. 

But our modern social practice is working out 
schemes of probation for such boys whenever the 
necessary sponsors can be obtained, giving them 
opportunity for another chance, under the influence 
of some good man who will be a friend and coun- 
sellor to them. ‘This was one of the enterprises that 
this Brotherhood group of men were getting under 
and taking responsibility for. 

As another task, they were constituting them- 
selves a Publicity Bureau, with machinery by which 
they could be definitely and reliably informed of the 
inside facts of all local questions, and could throw 
the weight of their combined influence for good 
morals, for law enforcément and for the encourage- 
ment and protection of those officials who were 
honestly trying to enforce the laws. 

There had been a rather important election held 
the previous week. Good men sometimes become a 
little careless, and for some years a very adroit gang 
of politicians, under the lead of J. McLean Clans- 
ton, had been taking a very strong hand in local 
politics, and occasionally getting into control. There 
were some big contracts soon to be let which they 
wanted to handle. Also the matter of law enforce- 


HIS RETURN 15 


ment against vice, bootlegging and other evils was 
just now very urgent in the city. By making secret 
alliances with the element that profit by these evils, 
Mack Clanston had so perfected his plans that there 
was almost a sure prospect of his securing the neces- 
sary majority in the council. 

But the Publicity agents of the Brotherhood got 
wind of their plans in time. They thoroughly inves- 
tigated all the facts, and gave them such publicity 
that Mack Clanston and his gang were overwhelm- 
ingly defeated and not only thousands of dollars 
saved to the city, but the community preserved from 
an era of debauchery and lawlessness. 

Another work they were undertaking was a move- 
ment to provide industrial training and employment 
for persons who were blind, maimed, or otherwise 
incapacitated. 

This night they had a talk by a doctor from the 
Rockefeller Research Foundation, on tuberculosis 
and what steps can be taken to lessen its prevalence 
and increase safety from it. Fortunately, their pas- 
tor, Rev. Dr. Wharton, was a man who believed that 
Christ came that men “Might have life and have it 
abundantly,” and that everything that would con- 
tribute to cleaner, safer, happier living for men, was 
part of the commission that He left to all His loyal 
followers. The pastor’s leadership contributed much 
to make the Brotherhood a real force in the com- 
munity. 


16 HIS RETURN 


The Women’s Guild was a corresponding organ- 
ization among the women. It interested itself in all 
kinds of benevolent and philanthropic enterprises. 
It worked somewhat along the familiar lines of the 
ordinary women’s clubs, but with special reference 
to the church, its needs and the causes for which it 
stands. 

As auxiliary to this were the Ladies’ Aid and the 
Home and Foreign Missionary Societies. ‘Then 
there were a Temperance Society, a League of © 
Social Service, the Boy Scouts, and a similar organ- 
ization of girls, besides the King’s Daughters, one 
or two junior organizations, and a number of semi- 
private circles that were confined to members of 
some particular class in the Sunday School. 

Perhaps this seems like a whole lot of organiza- 
tions and meetings for one church, but it only means 
that where there are so many different things to be 
done, and a pretty large lot of people that really 
want to do something, they will find varied and 
appropriate ways of doing it. 


Vi 
On Thursday afternoon Norton and Margaret 
were over at the Enbrights playing tennis with Ger- 
trude and young Dr. Welton. When they were 
through, Gertrude, with characteristic hospitality, 
insisted that they should all stay and join them in 
an early supper. She telephoned over to the Porters 


HIS RETURN 17 


that Margaret would not be home, which of course 
made it impossible for Norton to leave. The young 
doctor did not seem to need much persuading. 

The Enbrights were great social workers, and 
during supper the conversation turned to various 
modern social problems, among others the changed 
attitude toward criminals, and the new conceptions 
of the way to cure evil. Margaret’s father, Judge 
Porter, had always been noted for his humanity 
and consideration, especially in dealing with first 
offenses. Margaret warmly defended his practice, 
but she had a hopeless task to try to get up an argu- 
ment, for everybody there sided with her. 

“I remember,” said the host, “that Judge Lindsey 
had to make a regular fight for his juvenile court, 
against bitter criticism and opposition, but no city 
now would be considered civilized that did not follow 
at least the main principles for which he stood.” 

“It seems to me our attitude toward the older 
criminals is changing, too,” said the young doctor. 
“The old idea of vengeance as the animus of the 
law is being scrapped along with the rack and the 
thumbscrew. Reclamation and reform is now the 
goal. Evil and criminality are coming to be looked 
upon more as a disease, a mental and moral disease, 
to be treated and cured just the same as gout and 
tuberculosis.” 

“Yes,” said another, “and when we remember 
how much all of us have been molded and made 


LS HIS RETURN 


what we are by our families and the people with 
whom we have had to associate, it makes us a little 
more charitable.” 

“In other words, I suppose you approve the senti- 
ment: ‘But for the grace of God, there goes John 
Baxter.’ But for a bad home, and for being thrown 
with vicious associates, this man might have been 
on the judge’s bench instead of in the prisoner’s 
dock.” 

‘Don’t you think,” said Mrs. Enbright, “this all 
means that the teaching of Jesus is beginning to 
take just a little root in our souls, and that we are 
beginning to be just slightly moculated with His 
spirit? You know He insisted on being friendly 
with bad and low people, and the rulers were so 
disgusted that they killed Him for it.” 

“Yes, it has taken a long while, but we are begin- 
ning to see it sometimes a little His way.” 

“It is putting new life into the churches, too, now 
that they are beginning to see that the chief em- 
phasis is not to be put on the right formula for say- 
ing, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but rather on finding His brethren 
that are “Poor, sick, naked, and in prison, and minis- 
tering to them.’ ” 

“What impresses me is His great patience with 
‘our foolish ways,’ and the stiff-necked, wrong no- 
tions of so many good people. But He knows that 
we think we are right, and are trying to do right, 
so though it hurts Him He bears with it.” 


HIS RETURN 19 


“And the more earnest and positive we are, the 
more likely we are to take up with wrong notions 
and ways. We are such limited creatures that if 
our reasoning faculties are developed it is apt to 
make us cold. If we are warm and emotional we 
are apt to be impatient of close analysis and blunder 
into so many errors which fit in with our earnest 
disposition.” 
| Vil 

The evening was pleasant, and Norton and Mar- 
garet walked home after the supper. On the way 
they noticed, in a vacant lot, a tent with flaring lights 
and a large sign: 


“GosPEL MEETINGS” 


The hour was not late. It seemed a good object to 
encourage. So they stopped and went in. 

The preacher had good lungs and a fluent tongue. 
He had hung up about the platform a number of 
charts with diagrams, pictures of dragons and beasts 
and names of kings and countries. He belonged 
to one of those small sects that specialize in inter- 
preting prophecy. 

He was piecing together passages from Daniel 
and the book of Revelation, and proposing to tell 
from them what was going to take place in Europe 
and America in the next few decades or centuries, 
and a pessimistic, gloomy picture it was. Incident- 
ally, he found it necessary to predict that the old 


20 HIS RETURN 


Roman Empire and other defunct systems of an- 
tiquity would have to be again restored and re- 
vamped, in order to fulfill parts of various 
prophecies that had not yet been properly fulfilled 
according to his program of fulfillment. 

Elis main theme was the second coming of Jesus 
to this earth, and the great cataclysmic events that 
were going to take place when He came, His fierce 
judgments and the vengeance He was going to 
wreak on the nations of the world. Jesus had been 
gentle and patient when He was on earth before, 
but now His turn had come to have revenge. He 
was through with humility and meekness. He was 
coming back now to reign in splendor as a king, and 
to take terrible vengeance. Woe unto all those then 
outside the select chosen circle! 

He would send war and slaughter, famine, fire 
and pestilence. Countries were to be devastated, 
their cities destroyed and their inhabitants mas- 
sacred. The streets of New York and Chicago 
would run red with blood, the people butchered and 
their mangled corpses left to rot in the ruins. 

The chosen few that had held the right religious 
belief would be caught up in the air to look down in 
triumph on the great slaughter, or assist in it, and 
when it was all over they would come down again 
to the ground to live in everlasting luxury, and have 
a glorious time together as favorites of the returned 
Jesus. 


HIS RETURN 21 


The preacher was of that very primitive tempera- 
ment that revels in lurid details of horror. 

“The torch will burn down the palaces of the rich. 
The whole earth will be steeped as never before in 
blood. Earthquakes will shake the entire earth. 
Catastrophes like the one which made of San Fran- 
cisco a heap of ruins will be repeated. The great 
centers of a boasted Christian civilization like New 
York, Chicago, London, Paris, and other great 
cities, will crumble to the dust and be shaken to the 
ground. ‘There will be pestilences and other epi- 
demics which carry off human life by the million 

. The day of the wrath of the Lamb begins.’’* 

“Christ is coming with the eyes of one who is 
aroused and indignant, as one who no longer seeks 
either friendship or love. He descends that He may 
shed the blood of men. He will enunciate His claim 
by terror and might. He will tread and trample 
in His fury till the blood of men shall fill the earth, 
till their upspurting blood shall make them crimson. 
He comes as a king, an autocrat, a despot, through 
the gushing blood of a trampled world.’ f 

The preacher’s aim seemed to be to so fill his 
hearers’ minds with fear that they would want to 
join his sect and so escape all these horrors and have 
a part in the great time of luxury. 

Now it so happened that Margaret’s older sister, 





*A. C. Geblein, “Things to Come,” p. 35. 
tRev. I. M. Halderman, “Coming of Christ,” p. 251 £ 


22 HIS RETURN 


Helen, had done relief work in Kurope during the 
war, and so, when the preacher spoke of Jesus send- 
ing wars and wholesale slaughter, she knew what 
the horrors of war meant. Was that what Jesus 
was coming to do? 

She also knew what earthquakes meant. Only a 
few days before she had received a letter from an 
old schoolmate, now a missionary in Japan, who had 
been there through the terrible earthquake and had 
seen its heartrending horrors. 

The letter told of her fellow missionary, Miss 
of the Girls’ School, who was pinned fast in 
the ruins when the building fell and caught fire. 
She lay there talking to some of her pupils who had 
escaped but were unable to help her. She saw the 
flames gradually getting nearer and nearer . . 
and then she said goodbye to them all and made 
them go away and leave her there. It told of their 
Japanese pastor whose wife and all his children had 
been killed in the disaster, and of other members of 
their church who had been crushed by falling build- 
ings, or perished in the fire, or who had seen their 
loved ones killed and mangled before their eyes. It 
told of the streets actually littered with dead bodies, 
of crowds surrounded by fire and unable to get 
away; of one place where a large enclosure was 
packed with refugees, but after the fire had swept 
over “only the bottom layer was left alive.”” She her- 
self had with difficulty succeeded in reaching a war- 





HIS RETURN 23 


ship that was engaged in rescue work, its decks slip- 
pery with blood and the white duck uniforms of its 
officers soaked crimson from the mangled bodies of 
rescued victims. 

And this was the kind of Jesus that was going 
to come back again to the earth, and such were the 
earthquakes, wars and other calamities He was 
going to send to crush and mangle the bodies of men 
and women and little children, “A despot exulting 
in the gushing blood of a trampled world!’ 

Margaret shut her eyes and her head swam as 
she heard the preacher talk so glibly of these terrible 
things the returning Jesus was to do. She plucked 
at her companion’s arm and said: 

“Oh, Norton, let’s get away from here.” 

When they had gone on a little way she turned 
to him and said: 

“How can that man say that the kind and loving 
Jesus is going to do such unspeakably cruel and 
horrible things!” 

“Isn’t it strange? But I suppose it is just the 
result of the style of religious doctrine that he has 
adopted.” 

“Is that what they call ‘Premillennialism’ ?” 

“No, I think not,” he answered. “I don’t know 
precisely what their teaching is, but I know that 
some of our kindest, finest men hold that view.” 

“They teach that Jesus is coming to reign on the 
earth, don’t they?” 


24 HIS: RETURN 


“Yes, but when He comes it will be to convert all 
the people, not to slaughter them.” 

“TI am sure that man had no sense of reality or he 
never could have talked of such dreadful things in 
such a satisfied tone of voice.” 

‘Well, you know how absolutely inconsistent we 
all are sometimes.” 

“Yes, I suppose so. And how glibly and care- 
lessly we often talk about suffering, as though we 
had no human feelings.” 

‘As though God had no human feelings.” 

“Well, anyway, I believe that if Jesus came back 
He would have the same tender, kind heart He had 
when He was here. I don’t believe that even two 
thousand years of life in Glory, and the possession 
of unlimited power would change Him in that 
respect.” 

“By the way, I understand that Dr. Goodyear, 
who is to make the principal address at the Sunday 
School Convention, Saturday night, is an earnest 
premillenarian. Possibly he may give us some ac- 
count of the premillennial views in his address at 
that time.” 

Vill 

Next morning Norton went down to the bank as 
usual, and had just begun work when a stranger 
entered and came to his window to open an account. 
His name was Frank Waters. He represented the 
American Federation of Labor, and made a rather 


HIS RETURN 25 


large deposit. As business was a little slack the two 
men naturally fell into a conversation. 

“Do I infer that some new move is on foot, and 
we may have the pleasure of expecting another labor 
war soon?” 7 

“T- sincerely hope not,” was his reply. “Strikes 
have been necessary, and a weapon of progress in 
the past. But they are tremendously expensive. 
The time has come when we must find more normal 
and peaceable ways of effecting our purpose.” 

“You will find few to quarrel with you in that 
sentiment. Is it fair to ask what your program of 
procedure is?” 

“I shall be more than pleased, some time when 
you have leisure, to go into our plans in detail. But 
in general, we propose to try to get into sympathetic 
touch with all kinds of organizations that represent 
bodies of men or lines of thought. We will come 
to them not just to seek their suppori: for our plans, 
but frankly and candidly to confer with them.” 

“What bodies and organizations «lo you have in 
mind to approach?” 

“Well, of course there is the press, then the schools 
and leaders of education, scientific, societies, clubs, 
fraternal orders, and associations of all kinds. In 
short, all institutions that have people behind them 
and any real influence.” 

“T notice that you have not mentioned one of the 
largest and most influential institutions of all.” 


a6), HIS RETURN, ee 


“To what do you refer?” 

“The church.” 

“Yes, I suppose I ought to have put that first, for 
it is the one from which we ought to expect most of 
all. But the fact is, we have such a feeling that the 
church has failed us in the past that we have very 
little hope for the future.” 

“T must admit that the church is still far from 
measuring up to its duty in this, as well as in many 
other respects. But as a student of history, I think 
you will concede that the church is about the one in- 
stitution that has done anything for the common 
men. All the improvement in their condition has 
been largely the result, directly or indirectly, of the 
church’s teaching and influence. Compare the con- 
dition of labor now with its degraded enslavement 
in ancient tinwes, and really the benefit bestowed 
has been something enormous.’ 

“Yes, I suppose there has been great improve- 
ment, and the church and its teaching must have 
some credit for it. But it has taken a long while 
and has been dlistressingly slow.” 

‘“‘And so have all other reforms. Still, I think I 
can see your position, for we are apt to resent more 
the eulelass of a friend than the hostility of an 
enemy.” 

“Perhaps that is it We expect so much more 
from the church that I suppose we have become 
bitter.” 


Rade oy anced, 0 pisleukgleedoan ale 


HIS RETURN En 


“If the churches are the source from which you 
really ought to expect the most, how about begin- 
“ning with them now and giving them a first chance?” 

“Do you think they would have anything to do 
with us?’ 

“Here’s a good opportunity to try it out. Here 
comes Dr. Wharton, my pastor. Would you care 
to meet him and talk the matter over with him?” 

“Sure! Dll be glad to talk with him.” 


IX 


Dr. Wharton was one of those hearty, open- 
minded preachers that are able to forget their 
cloth and meet men on the human level. The labor 
leader felt his genuineness, and was disposed to 
meet him frankly, though the diffidence born of 
long years of suspicion and estrangement made a 
little atmosphere of hesitation. He went over with 
the Doctor the main points of the conversation he 
had just had with Norton, and asked what the church 
was willing to do in the case. 

“Well,” said the Doctor, “you are frank and I 
wil be equally frank. What you have said has 
interested me greatly. Perhaps we have not always 
done our duty. But will you be willing:right now 
to entertain a definite proposition if I make one?” 

“That certainly is the way to get down to busi- 
ness. I shall be glad to receive your proposition 
and get it a candid hearing with our men.” 


28 HIS RETURN 


“T understand that your wish is to get the dif- 
ferent bodies of laboring men you represent into 
conference with various organizations, and that you 
would welcome the opportunity for such confer- 
ence with the church, we will say specifically with 
the Immanuel Church, with which I am con- 
nected.” : 

“Yes, that is the situation.” 

“Well, we have a great big building over there, 
and there are a good many nights when it is entirely 
unoccupied. If you favor the idea I will get you a 
definite invitation from our church board, say for 
one night a month, to come and hold a meeting with 
us in our church. You will bring your union mem- 
bers and your own speakers, and put on whatever 
program you think best, and we will try to have as 
large a representation of our church people as pos- 
sible present to meet and hear you. How does such 
a proposition strike you?’ | 

‘Nothing could be much fairer or more generous 
than that, Doctor. What do you ask in return for 
this accommodation?’ : 

“We do not make any conditions. This is not a 
commercial transaction. We are just as truly re- 
sponsible for the betterment of the laboring classes 
as you are. We will meet on equal terms as part- 
ners, and just consider that we are both there to 
work together in our common task.” 

“Pardon me if I seemed to suggest a commercial 


HIS RETURN 29 


basis. What I meant was that I suppose you will 
probably want to make this a means to get us into 
your church.” 

“No, not at all. Of course, we want you and 
would welcome any or all of you into our body, but 
that must not be the program of this movement.” 

‘That certainly is fair and generous.” 

“But I do not say that we will not hope that we 
may bring you into closer relation with Jesus Christ. 
That is a fair topic for a labor conference. Jesus 
was a laboring man, and His great purpose and 
desire was to help laboring men. It is too bad that 
the laboring men have turned Him down. The 
labor bodies have ‘double-crossed him’.” 

“You mean, because we don’t come into the 
church? Possibly our men are mistaken, but they 
believe you don’t want them in the church.” 

“TI am sure they are mistaken in that. But really 
that is not the question. The church has no monop- 
oly of Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself intensely wants 
men to get the help He can give them. That is 
what He came for. Just as you came here from 
New York to help the laboring men here, so He 
came from heaven expressly to help the laboring 
men of the world, and not only them alone but all 
men. That is the way the matter really stands. 
Why, then, isn’t it just as much up to you as to me 
to get that help to them?” 

“TI confess, Doctor, you are putting the matter in 


30 HIS RETURN 


a different light than I ever heard it put before. 
Perhaps you are right.” ) 

‘Well, perhaps even we church people are only 
just beginning to get a true understanding of the 
heart of Jesus, the motives of His life and the cause 
of His death. It was just the same sort of kind- 
hearted, friendly love for people that we have which 
brought Him here in the first place, and which was 
His motive all through life. It was a great passion 
with Him to help men and make them better and 
happier. 

“To see men suffer was suffering to Him. It was 
pain to Him to see the wickedness and ruin of men 
who wouldn’t let Him help them but whom He 
loved. That was the burden He bore all through 
life and that caused Him to be called ‘The Man of 
Sorrows. And when that wickedness reached its 
climax, when they finally rejected Him, when help- 
less to save them, He had to see that wild orgy of 
hate, anger and cruelty, as they dragged Him to His 
death, it was agony of pity for them and not fear 
for His own body, that was His anguish in Geth- 
semane, and that made Him stagger and faint on 
the way to the cross. And as He hung there on the 
cross, at last that agony became too great for human 
strength to bear. That was what broke His heart, 
and took His life, long before the mere wounds of 
the nails would have caused death.” 

‘Is that the way you explain the death of Jesus?” 


HIS RETURN 81 


“Doesn’t it seem reasonable? Would not that 
have been sufficient cause? I think possibly even 
you, yourself, may have known of parallel cases, of 
some mother whose son in whom she had centered 
all her love, had gone to the bad, and she had fol- 
lowed him to the slums and the depths of degrada- 
tion, loving him still, bearing all his drunken inso- 
lence and abuse, and only loving him the more that 
she might win him back again to right and honor; 
but he only got worse and worse. Would it be 
strange if all that anguish of hopeless love at last 
should break her heart and take her life? If Jesus 
loved like that, does not that explain His mysterious 
anguished death?” 

“But don’t you say that the death of Jesus saves 
men? I should think in such a case they ought rather 
to have the greater punishment.” 

“Suppose, after some mother had endured all 
that agony almost to the very doors of death, some 
way her boy, touched by her devotion, should reform 
and come back again to a life of right and duty, to 
be her loving son again and have a noble, prosperous 
life to make her glad. True, after what he had done 
he would not deserve the prosperity, but to the 
mother it would be the greatest joy possible to have 
him thus become good and prosperous. Everyone 
would agree that it was but just after the mother 
had suffered so much for him that she should have 
the joy and reward of having him saved and happy. 


32 HIS RETURN 


In the same way, after Jesus suffered so much for us 
it would be only just that He should have the joy 
and reward of having us saved and happy.” 

“Is that the meaning when the theologians say, 
‘Satisfied divine justice’ and ‘Purchased pardon for 
the sinner’ ?” 

“You have just as good a mind as [ have. Think 


it over and see if it mustn’t mean about that. That - 


is the kind of a person Jesus was, and is, and He 
wants to help the laboring men to happier lives 
today, if they will only let Him. But we are getting 
pretty deep into theology. How about the prac- 
tical proposition that I made? And how about that 
understanding? Do you think your men will come 
to such a meeting, and will you consider it fair if I 
present the name of Jesus Christ to them as a candi- 
date for office as a “Labor Leader’ ?’ 

“Well, Doctor, I think you have made out a very 
good case for the eligibility of Jesus Christ to a 
labor union. I can’t see anything at all inappropri- 
ate in presenting His claims there. I am planning 
to get the operatives of the Brainford Williams 
Novelty Company together Tuesday night. I shall 
lay your proposition before them and I believe they 
will receive it favorably. And I shall also hope that 
the time will come when you can have the good will 
and confidence of them and of all our men, and that 
you may be able to talk to them as you have talked 
to me today.” 


HIS RETURN 33 


xX 

The Sunday School Convention opened with a 
popular meeting Friday night. ‘There were several 
speakers, among them Dr. Wharton of the local 
church, who spoke on “The Bible, the Sunday School 
Teacher’s Text Book.” 

He began his address by saying: 

“There are two contrasted conceptions of religion, 
and of God in His relations with men. One is that 
religion is a system by which God is to get some- 
thing from men that He wants for His own satis- 
faction, to get glory, :worship, service, to get His 
will done. Punishment inflicted by God is a major 
factor of religion, for it is the means used to induce 
men to give Him that Something, and to do as He 
wants them to do. Those who will not do so have 
offended against Him, and He takes vengeance for 
it, inflicting punishment and suffering. 

“This is the conception of God that was the basis 
of the Christian teaching all through the middle 
ages, as it is also of all the ethnic religions, and it is 
still practically the view that is held by some sects 
and factions which pride themselves on being spe- 
cially conservative and orthodox. 

“The: other view of religion is that in it God is 
wholly trying to give something to men. Punish- 
ment and destruction come to bad men, it is true, but 
they result from the bad acts themselves, and are 
the natural and necessary result of the constitution 


34 HIS RETURN 


of things, just like gravitation or fire or sickness. 
They are part of natural law. But religion is some- 
thing that presents God trying to do special kind- 
ness to men, to benefit them and bring about a 
relation of friendship and fellowship with them, to 
save them from the injury and harm their bad acts 
would do them. And He does it just because He 
personally loves them and loves to do them favors 
and make them happy. That is what God is like, 
and what He wants to do. 

“Now the whole purpose of the Bible is just to 
make us see that God is like that, to show us God in 
that attitude and doing things that way. The Bible 
is not the history of Abraham, Moses and David, or 
the history of the Jews, but the history of God. He 
is its hero, and it is only what He felt and did that 
counts. And itis just because all its great men were 
imperfect people and did things in wrong and mis- 
taken ways, just like ourselves, that God’s friendly 
attitude toward them is so important to us and gives 
us hope. Jacob at first was a good deal of*a rascal 
and a sneak, but God, because He had made a prom- 
ise to Abraham, was still kind to him, and by kind- 
ness finally changed him over into the grand old 
patriarch, Israel. Abraham in Egypt was a coward 
and a liar, but God stood by him and helped him 
when he didn’t deserve it, just as any ordinary true 
frendishould do. ae 7 

Now there was a dour old Scotchman there named 


HIS RETURN 35 


»’ Donald Galbraith, the superintendent of the Sunday 
school over at Perth Center. He waited after the 
meeting was out to take the good doctor to task. 

“Do you mean to say that punishment is no part 
of religion, and God is not going to punish the 
wicked? Is it one of these universalists that you 
maybe would be?’ 

“I am afraid you did not hear me well, or I did 
not make it plain. I think I distinctly said that 
wickedness would be punished, but the punishment 
would come naturally and inevitably from the nature 
of things, or as we sometimes say, ‘by natural law,’ 
not by God, because He was offended, catching 
people, locking them up in a horrible place and per- 
sonally torturing them.” 

“Oh, then you would be one of these evolutionists, 
who put nature in the place of God, and say every- 
thing is done by natural law.” 

“Pardon me. I mean no offense, but I will take 
your own formula and say: “Are you one of these 
atheists who put God out of nature entirely? You 
imply that if anything was done by natural law, God 
did not do it, as though God had nothing to do with 
natural law. Didn’t God make natural law? Isn’t 
it God’s machinery, God’s way of working?” 

“Would you say, then, that evolution was God’s 
work?” 

“T am not going to discuss evolution here, but I 
will say I am astonished at the semi-atheism, or is it 


36 HIS RETURN 


ignorance, of the men who go about the country 
frantically declaiming that to say things were made 
by natural processes and natural law is to say they 
were not made by God, and the Bible is false and our 
religion overthrown. 

“Jesus said that ‘God maketh His sun torise .. . 
sendeth rain . . . clothes the grass and feeds the 
sparrows. Surely these are things done by natural 
law, yet Jesus says they are done by God. Read in 
your Bible: ‘He giveth snow like wool. He scat- 
tereth the hoar frost like ashes.’ Take any of hun- 
dreds of passages in the Psalms, the Prophets, and 
all through the Bible, where all kinds of operations 
of natural law are referred to as God’s work, as God 
doing those things. Why do not these men then | 
claim also that to say the snow or the sunrise comes 
by natural law is to say the Bible is false or Jesus 
isa liar? If not, they must admit that saying crea- 
tures were evolved by natural processes is also per- 
fectly consistent with saying that God made them.” 

“TI think I see your point, Doctor. You would 
make all punishment the result of natural law, but 
natural law was made by God, so you still claim it is 
properly called the act of God, just as the Bible 
calls it.” 

“Isn’t that quite consistent and logical?” 

“I suppose your object, then, would be. to show 
that the suffering of punishment, even severe pun- 
ishment, is not inconsistent with the claim that God 


HIS RETURN : 37 


is always personally kind and friendly, just as Jesus 
was, even to the sinner who is punished.” 

“Certainly. The Book says that “He does not 
wish that any should perish.’ God knew that in 
order to get as good a world as this is, it would be 
necessary to make it as this world is made, with all 
the penalties as they are, and so that is the way God 
made the world. When the cook kindles the fire 
with kerosene, or the electrician bungles the wiring, 
the house burns down. It is not because God is 
_ offended and wants it to burn, but because that is 
the nature of things. When aman does wrong, suf- 
fering or punishment comes upon him, because that 
also, in the same way, is the nature of things, part 
of the way that God made the universe. That is 
the meaning of all the severe things that are depicted 
in the Bible as God’s punishment of sinners. They 
come upon them because that is the necessary nature 
of things as God made the world.” 

“I never heard it put to me that way before, 
Doctor. J’ll have to think about all that. It does 
seem to give a larger, grander view of God to count 
that all nature is His work, just as truly as the 
miracles. And it is fine to have Him released from 
police duty and the office of prison warden.” 


XI 


Saturday morning there was a grand rally of the 
Sunday School children of the city, and most of the 


38 HIS RETURN 


day was given to discussions and demonstrations of 
normal methods, ways to attract, interest and in- 
struct the child. In the evening there was again a 
popular meeting, with several speakers, and among 
them the fine old Dr. Goodyear, from whom our 
friends hoped to hear something about the teachings 
of Premillennialism. ‘Though his topic was quite 
other than that, yet, as usual, that subject was so 
precious to him that he could not forbear to bring it 
in and give considerable time to it. 

. Christianity is not a doctrine to be be- 
lieved, but a fellowship to be enjoyed, a fellowship 
with Jesus Christ. Jesus taught His disciples many 
truths, but much more important was the influence 
of His daily presence, the magnetism of His person 
and the loving atmosphere with which His friend- 
ship always surrounded them. They forgot much 
of His teaching, and misunderstood much that they 
did remember. But the influence of His presence 
and the thrill of His fellowship still stayed with them 
and kept them loyal to Him. And they constantly 
looked forward to a time when He would return to 
be with them again, and they could again have the 
joy of that presence and that fellowship. 

“To the true Christian today it is the same, and 
the fellowship with Jesus is the supreme thing for 
which he waits. ‘Though the time has been long, yet 
we still look forward with the same hope for His 
coming, when we shall have that joy of His presence. 


HIS RETURN 89 


and the great privilege of His affectionate friend- 
ship and companionship. 

“How different will be our lives when lived in the 
immediate presence of our Lord! Suppose you 
wake tomorrow morning to welcome the returned 
Lord, to hear the glad news that Jesus is here. 

“Ah! perhaps it would be necessary to make some 
changes in your life. Perhaps there would be some- 
thing you would just as lief He would not see. There 
is some questionable place you were going, some 
questionable enterprise that you were planning to 
begin, and just as you are ready to start there is 
Jesus by your side, and He says: ‘Friend, may I go 
with you?) Down in your store or office there is a 
very questionable business deal that you are plan- 
ning to put over, and as you look up from your desk 
you see Jesus standing there and saying: ‘Can I 
help you in any way in that business?’ 

“But there will also be cases where His presence 
will bring a benediction and a glowof deep pleasure. 
You have been patiently doing your daily tasks of 
kindness, though the load has been heavy and’ those 
you have been helping and’ trying to cheer have 
shown little gratitude. Butas you come home weary 
and discouraged, Jesus meets you and says: “Thank 
you. You have been very kind to me today.’ You 
have been struggling hard to overcome some beset- 
ting sin, but it seems vain, and you are almost ready 
to. give up, when. there is, Jesus. standing before you,, 


4,0 HIS RETURN 


and He puts His hand on your shoulder and says: 
‘Don’t give up. I am sure you can conquer if you 
just keep up the fight.’ 

“What willit mean to some of you just to sit down 
with Him in the quiet of the evening hour, and tell 
Him all your doubts and perplexities, all your 
anxieties and hopes and fears, and then hear His 
gentle voice as He makes all things plain, points out 


the way, and by His loving smile inspires your heart 


to brighter hope and richer, sweeter life? 

“Suppose tomorrow He should step up beside 
your pastor in his pulpit and speak words of wisdom 
such as ‘Never man spake.’ Suppose Monday He 
should go with my honored friend, the judge here, 
to his court room, patiently hear all the evidence in 
that difficult but important case, and render the 
decision of perfect justice. Suppose He should 
walk into our state legislature when some important 
measure is up for discussion, and by a few wise 
words make clear and imperative to every one the 
right way and insure a right decision. 

“One of the speakers tonight has just given us 
a picture of the great heathen world lying in dark- 
ness and ignorance. Patiently and earnestly, our 
missionaries are toiling to raise little beacon lights 
here and there that even yet are hardly visible amid 
the vast veil of gloom. But when He comes it will 
be with a brightness that will shine to the farthest 
places of the earth and drive away the darkness as 


LL ——  l 


HIS RETURN 41 


the rismg sun dispels the night, and all the temples 
of heathenism will be changed into churches of the 
living God. 

“He is coming. We know not when. At even, 
at midnight, or in the morning. Will He find us 
faithful, watching, waiting, ready to receive Him?” 

The pictures of the good doctor made a deep im- 
pression on many minds, and they left at the close 
of the service with very serious thoughts. As our 
two friends walked home it was with quite a different 
feeling than after the meeting in the tent. 

“Ah! That is quite a different thing,” said Mar- 
garet. “That is the same Jesus we have loved and 
known. Such a coming would be a blessing indeed, 
and we can not wonder that men find it such a com- 
fort and inspiration.” 

“Yes, that is the same Jesus that was here and 
went away to heaven, not the tent preacher’s creature 
of vengeance such as the heathen picture, nor even 
a grand oriental despot such as the Jews expected.” 

“Suppose He should come tonight and when we 
wake we should really find He was already here, as 
the preacher said.” 

“Who knows but He may. It is just as likely 
then as at any other time. He Himself said that no 
one knows the day.” 

With a little smile, Margaret said: 

“T wonder if we could have Him to bless our wed- 
ding as He did the one at Cana in Galilee.” 





PAR Ta i 


They shall say to you, Lo there! Lo here! 
Go not away nor follow after them. 
Lk. 17:23. 


PART II° 


I 


. It had been a pretty busy week, and Norton after 
returning home had some items of bank business 
that must be looked over, and he was pretty tired 
when he retired to rest. He slept so soundly that 
it seemed but a few moments before he was 
awakened by the familiar tones of the early Sunday 
church bells. The sun was streaming into his room, 
and he was soon up and dressed. 

It was already late, and he hurried through his 
breakfast so as to have time for a little more prepara- 
tion to meet his class in the Sunday School. 

The Brockton daily paper did not have a Sunday 
morning issue, but the Sunday papers came out from 
New York City on the morning train, and the copy 
for the bank was usually delivered at his door. As 
he brought it in he noticed in the lower corner of the > 
front page a little item which attracted his attention 
because it was so suggestive of what he and Mar- 
garet had been interested in and talking about the 
previous nights. It was dated from Naples, Italy 
and was apparently a bit of last minute news. 


“Naples, June 12.—The Daily Intelligentia’s dispatch 
from Jaffa, Syria, tells of a singular occurrence which is 
44 


HIS RETURN 45 


reported to have taken place at Jerusalem this morning. 
About 8 o’clock a most remarkable blaze of brilliance and © 
glory flashed out in the east, and a bright cloud was seen in 
the sky, which later developed into a mysterious form that 
the superstitious peasants insist was a multitude of angels. 
A great crowd immediately gathered, and it is reported that 
a mysterious man in shining clothing descended out of the 
air and alighted upon the top of Temple Hill, where the 
Mohammedan mosque stands. A report is spreading that 
this is the Lord Jesus returned again to the earth. The 
Intelligentia’s report, however, has not yet been confirmed. 


Marvelous reports coming from the superstitious 
regions of the East are not unusual, and a trifle is 
often magnified into a great mystery to make a story 
for the newspapers, so not much importance was 
attached to the little item, yet under the circum- 
stances it made rather a vivid impact on Norton’s 
mind. But in the stress of the morning work in the 
Sunday School and church it was soon almost for- 
~ gotten. 

II 

The Sunday School lesson that morning was the 
Macedonian Call to Paul in Acts 16:9 ff. Paul 
had been commissioned by God to go out into the 
great wide world with the message of salvation. © 
His route had been hedged up and directed, and 
he had been specially led on by God step by step. 
He had gone through his first mission field in 
Galatia, and the account says: “They were for- 
bidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the Word in 


46 HIS RETURN 


Asia.” Then they “Assayed to go into Bithinia, 
but the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not.” 

Now here they were at the city of Troas on the 
fEigean. Right across the narrow sea was Europe, 
where the great center of the world’s most impor- 
tant life was to be for two thousand years. Paul 
had a vision. “There stood a man of Macedonia 
and prayed him, saying, ‘Come over into Mace- 
donia and help us.’”” Immediately he obeyed the 
call and began that series of great campaigns down 
the coast of Greece. Beaten, persecuted, ridiculed 
and driven out of every city in which he attempted 
to work, and yet leaving behind a line of noble 
churches that were to be the first fruits and the 
promise of glorious victory. 

But so great had been the opposition and dis- 
couragement that when he arrived at Corinth, that 
great seething center of commerce, luxury and sin, 
he was almost exhausted and ready to stop and say 
the work was too great for man. But again Jesus 
his Lord appears to him and says: 


“Be not afraid, but speak and hold not thy peace, 
for I am with thee. I have much people in this city.” 


And so the work went on till Europe was won. 
For the missionaries of that day remembered that 
at the same time that Jesus gave them their com- 
mission: “Go into all the world and make disciples 
of all the nations,” He also said: “Lo I am with 


HIS RETURN 47 


you always.’ And our missionaries claim the same 
assurance still today, for he said: “With you 
always even wnto the end of the world.” 


The pastor of the church had asked the good 
Dr. Goodyear to occupy his pulpit that morning. 
He took as his text the words of Paul: 

“It is required in stewards that a man be found 
faithful.” (1 Cor. 4:2.) 

“God does not require success or great accom- 
plishment. All He requires is that each man, ac- 
cording to his ability, stand faithfully in his place, 
doing the work that is given to him, and ever watch- 
ing and waiting for the word of his Lord.” 

The whitening hair and venerable form of this 
man who had grown old in faithful, loving service, 
added meaning to the words which he spoke. In 
closing he recalled that incident in the temple when 
the infant Jesus was brought in by his parents, 
and the aged Simeon was there, “To whom it had 
been revealed by the Holy Ghost that he should not 
see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 
Then took He him up in his arms and blessed God 
and said, ‘Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant de- 
part in peace according to Thy word.’ ” 

“TI, too, am now getting to be an old man,” said 
he. “Like Simeon, I have nothing great to claim 
of work or worth, only the one purpose, to be always 
loyally faithful to my Lord, I know it seems pre- 


48 HIS RETURN 


sumption even to have the thought, but in my quiet 
moments of devotion there has often come the wish, 
sometimes almost rising to a hope or ecstatic vision: 
“What if God should make the same precious gift 
to me, before I pass away, to see and welcome the 
returning Christ; not now to take Him in my arms, 
but to kneel before Him, have Him place His hands 
upon my head and speak the blessed words, “Well 
done.’ Yes, I know it is too great a privilege for 
my unworthiness to ask, but I will still stand, pa- 
tient, waiting, watching, loving, faithful to the 
eng. 

As he said this, Norton suddenly recalled the 
little paragraph he had seen in the morning paper, 
and the thought came: : 

“The dear old faithful soul! Can it be possible 
that God is really going to give him his wish, and 
his long hope is really to come true?” 


Ill 


When the service was over Norton went home 
with the Judge’s family. After luncheon the talk 
drifted around to the morning’s sermon. The 
Judge, too, had seen the little item in the morning 
paper, but not having the matter so vividly in his 
mind, had passed it off as merely one of the com- 
mon wonder tales from the superstitious East. 

But it brought up the subject and led to some 
consideration of what the event would be apt to be 


HIS RETURN 49 


like if it really happened and Jesus really de- 
scended, the question whether this present occur- — 
rence in Jerusalem, supposing the reports were 
true, could fulfill the predictions that were made 
about it in the Bible. 

“What do you think of it, Judge?” 

“You mean that item in the paper this morning 
about a supposed return of Jesus to the earth? 
Really, I hadn’t thought much about it.” 

“You saw it, then?” 

“Yes, but there are so many accounts of mar- 
velous things in the remote places that one grows 
rather careless. 

“IT suppose I would not have particularly noticed 
it either if we had not been talking on that subject 
several times lately.” 

“It is something of a coincidence, coming just 
after the sermon we had last night.” 

“And this morning, too. You remember his 
closing words.” : 

“It would be fine if the good old doctor is to get 
his wish fulfilled.” 

“Do you think there4s any possibility that it could 
be true?’ 

“We have got where we don’t consider anything 

impossible in these days. When I was your age it 

would have been considered just as impossible and 
‘miraculous to see men flying in the air, and we hardly 
turn our heads to see them now,” 


50 HIS RETURN 


“Ves, that is so. But what I mean is, does this 
agree with what the return of Jesus would probably 
be like? Does it fulfill the predictions which seem 
to be made in the Bible about it?” 

“Really I am not very well up on the subject of 
Bible predictions. For instance, what do you have 
in mind?” 

“Neither do I have very definite ideas. But it 
seems to me it is always thought of as a very public 
event. J think the expression is used somewhere, 
‘Every eye shall see Him.’ He would be manifest 
to the whole world.” 

“Yes, but you know that could not be in a literal, 
physical sense. Eiven the sun can only be seen by 
half the people in the world at any one time.” 

“Tf it is a figure it must represent something.” 

“T think that part can be easily realized. Suppos- 
ing it to be true, then here are we, within a few hours 
after it occurs, reading about it, clear on the other 
side of the world. In the conditions when the pre- 
dictions were made it would have taken months or 
years for any report to reach people at this distance, 
if it ever did reach them at all.”’ 

“Could that be called “Seeing Him’?” 

“That is the way we ‘see’ most great events nowa- 
days. In that sense the whole world would see His 
return almost as soon and quite as vividly and cor- 
rectly as though with the physical eye, which, of 
course, would be physically impossible.” 


HIS RETURN 51 


“Yes, I suppose that may be considered to fulfill 
that condition. Still doesn’t it seem that it should 
make more stir someway?” 

“It is the permanent, continuing effect that is 
really important. But I suppose what you mean is 
that this can not really be Jesus come back, for if 
Jesus had really come it would have made a much 
larger and more stupendous impression on the peo- 
ple who were there.” 

“Yes. This meager report, by a roundabout 
way, and not even yet confirmed. Would not such 
an event, if it really occurred, have attracted more 
attention, and come with full particulars and a cer- 
tainty that would leave no question or room to 
doubt?’ 

“But remember that this is only a first advance 
report, coming after the morning papers were al- 
ready on the press. We must wait till we get tomor- 
row’s papers. We don’t get much news here on Sun- 
days. Maybe the New York papers are already 
giving full reports and flaring headlines.” 

“We will see what the later papers say.” 

“Remember, though, that I am not saying or even 
surmising, that it really is true, but merely, with 
my long experience in court of how things are seen 
and reported, trying to vision what would be the 
reports we would receive and the impression made 
on the people who saw it, if such a great event really 
should occur.” 


52 HIS RETURN 


“I suppose we laymen do expect too much cer- 
tainty, and imagine that everybody should know 
everything at once.” 

“In the first place, the very farthest limit that 
a man can be seen and distinguished with the eye, 
even as a mere speck, is about five miles. At one 
mile he is barely seen, and his features very imper- 
fectly even at two or three hundred yards. Think 
how difficult it is to make out at all the figure of the 
man in an airplane at only a moderate height. A 
strong light, of course, would be seen further, 
though in the daytime that, too, would have very 
much decreased range. At a distance of ten or 
twenty miles, be the occurrence as magnificent as 
the most sanguine imagine, the most that anyone 
could possibly have perceived would be a region of 
very bright light, which might easily be supposed 
by them to be the result of some lesser cause nearer 
at hand.” | 

“Then its not making a wider commotion is no 
objection.” 

“Perhaps our unreflecting conception would be 
of a whole nation or a whole continent seeing Him 
descend. But you can easily see how unthinkably 
impossible that would be. In fact, to be clearly 
seen from the whole extent of one of our medium 
sized cities, would be quite exceptional.” 

“Yes, I suppose that is true. I was once within 
three miles of a great disaster, which wrecked a 


HIS RETURN Coe 


city block and horrified the nation, but I never 
knew Pane about it till I saw it in the vane 
papers.’ 

“Now of course a person descending out of 
the sky in a great blaze of light would seem won- 
derful to anyone. But the ones who would see this 
would not be trained, educated men, with scientific 
habits of thought, able to really appreciate what 
was taking place. They would be mostly ignorant 
oriental peasants, with minds steeped in wonder tales, 
expecting something like this almost any day.” 

“‘And so it would not make the impression upon 
them, or have the tremendous meaning it would 
to us?” 

“On all these Deane: then, it is not hard to 
imagine that even if this of which we have heard 
should be all that the fullest interpretation of the 
prophecies requires, the report that would reach us, 
especially this early and in this roundabout, ob- 
structed way, might easily be very far from what 
the real importance of the occurrence would war- 
rant.” , , 

“Well, Judge, your expert knowledge of the 
value of evidence is a great help in a case like this. 
I can very well see that we could hardly look for 
more detailed or accurate descriptions than we have 
already received.” 

With a little laugh the judge replied: 

“T must not let my professional habits carry me 


54 | HIS RETURN 


too far. If we are not careful we will soon get 
ourselves to really believe that it is true. But, to 
change the subject, I hope we are to have you with 
us for supper tonight.” 

“T am afraid not. Thank you just as much. 
They have got me mixed up in the ‘Boys’ League,’ 
and I have promised to have a bunch of boys up at 
my room this afternoon.” 

As a matter of fact, it was Norton who had been 
the chief mover in getting up the league. It con- 
sisted of boys who used to roam the streets Sunday 
afternoon and evening, getting into all kinds of 
mischief and bad company. He had got them to- 
gether under a charter of the “Boy Scouts.” Some- 
times he would go off with them for a walk in the 
hills, or have them spend a quiet evening with inter- 
esting books, or have a talk by someone on some 
practical topic. And gradually most of them had 
been led to become interested in some of the En- 
deavor or other young people’s societies of the 
various churches. 

IV 

Before the evening services the speakers and con- 
vention delegates had all gone, and the exercises 
settled back to their usual channels. Quite a num- 
ber of people had seen or heard about the little item 
in the morning papers, and though it was always 
discounted, yet it could not fail to attract a certain 
degree of interest. 


HIS RETURN 55 


The attendance at the Endeavor Society was 
rather larger than usual, and there was apparent 
just a slight air of detachment or expectancy. 
Nearly every one recited a Bible verse, but when a 
call was made for “Sentence Prayers” there was a 
pause, and hardly anyone seemed to respond. The 
hymns that were called for were chiefly the old 
classics: “Rock of Ages,” “My Faith Looks Up to 
Thee,” “Onward, Christian Soldier.” 

Nearly all the members, however, stayed for the 
church services. The pastor took his theme from 
the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus. “If they 
hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they 
be converted though one rose from the dead.” 
(Lk. 16:31.) 

After returning from the church services, Norton 
stopped in for a few moments at the Porter home. 
Late in the evening the judge had received his copy 
of the New York afternoon paper. ‘The events 
happening in Jerusalem were again reported, and 
confirmed from several sources. It gave a full col- 
umn to them, with large, but cautious headlines. 


DESCENT OF MESSIAH 


Great Excitement in the Holy City 
Temple Hill Crowded with Eager Sightseers 


Paris, June 12.—A special dispatch to the “Echo de 
Paris” from its correspondent in Jerusalem says: The 
whole city of Jerusalem is greatly excited over the wonder- 


56 HIS RETURN 


ful event which occurred this morning. ‘Temple Hill is 
crowded with sightseers, and it is the one topic of conversa- 
tion in the streets and bazaars all day. No one seems to 
fully understand its meaning, but it is the universal opin- 
ion that this is a visit from some inhabitant of one of the 
other planets, or of heaven. 

Early this morning a great blaze of glory and an in- 
tense, but peculiar light appearing to the eastward aroused 
all the city, and a mysterious person with brilliantly shin- 
ing clothes is now at the mosque up on Temple Hill, where 
it is claimed that He descended out of the sky from a shin- 
ing white cloud. Most observers insist that the cloud was 
made up of moving creatures of some kind, which they 
claim were angels. 

Among the Armenians, Greeks and other Christian sects, 
the report is being circulated that it is the Jesus who lived 
two thousand years ago returned to earth again. 

London, June 12.—Reuter’s dispatch from its Jerusalem 
correspondent says: The city has been thrown into the 
greatest commotion by a remarkable event which occurred 
there this morning about 9 o’clock. A wonderful being 
of some sort descended out of the air somewhere near the 
great Mohammedan mosque which stands on the site of the 
ancient Jewish temple. Very remarkable appearances are 
reported in connection with His descent, including a very 
bright cloud, which observers declare was composed of some 
kind of animate beings. An extraordinary brilliancy seems 
to surround all things connected with this event, and this, 
in connection with the other unusual appearances is draw- 
ing large crowds of sightseers to the hill. The government 
acted promptly, and sent a company of troops to the spot, 
and the crowd has been kept under good control. Religious 
people are starting the report that this is the Messiah, or 
Jesus, returned again to the earth from heaven. 


HIS RETURN 57 


London, June 12.—The agent of the Standard Oil Com- 
pany cables from Jerusalem: Whole city greatly excited 
over strange person, claimed to be Jesus Christ returned 
from heaven. Brilliant light and wonderful appearances 
in the building on Temple Hill, where mysterious person 
is staying. Excitement spreading in the city and country, 
and many persons flocking in from surrounding villages as 
reports go out. Advise arrangements and facilities for 
large increase of business here in near future. 


V 


“Well, Judge, it begins to look as if there were 
something serious after all, What do you think 
of it now?’ 

“I must confess,” said the judge, “I talked very 
philosophically about it all, this afternoon, but 
really I was hardly equal to my own words. This 
rather gets the better of me. I hardly know what 
to think.” 

“You believe, then, that all this is genuine, and 
something great has happened, which probably is 
the descent of Jesus to the earth?” 

“The evidence seems good and the reports such 
as we should normally credit. Of course there is a 
possibility of other explanations, and we will await 
with interest the morning papers. But the pre- 
sumption now is that the reports are correct, with 
the probability that it really is an appearance of the 
Lord Jesus.” 

“What, then, are we to look for as the result of 


4 


58 HIS RETURN 


it? What effect is it to have on the world and all 
its millions of human beings? For I assume of 
course it would have meaning for all the world. 
What are we expected to do?” 

“T am afraid I will have to put that question to 
you. You are rather more intimate with church 
and religious affairs than I am. You are a young 
man, and it is the young that are eager for the new 
and strange. I am getting rather old and settled 
in my habits and feelings. Though I have never 
had as much to do as some with the emotional and 
ecclesiastical sides of religion, yet the Master, as 
I have known Him, has had much influence in shap- 
ing the practical side of my life. And now, in the 
eventide I had hoped to still go on and spend a few 
more years of quiet usefulness, trusting that ‘His 
hand will still lead on,’ and hoping that I would 
be ready when His call shall come, to go forward 
to new duties in the new life beyond.” 

The judge looked very thoughtful, and as they 
sat in silence for a few minutes, Norton remembered 
the long, noble life the judge had lived, modest, 
generous, always active for the right, with a friend- 
ly word and a helpful hand for everybody. Now 
his hair was silvering, his step was getting slower, 
and his long term of faithful service was verging 
toward the evening hour. As the judge was speak- 
ing those closing words Norton noticed a shade of 
perplexed sadness pass over his face, and somehow, 


HIS RETURN 59 


he knew not why, there flashed into his mind those 
words the old preacher had quoted: 


“Now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, O Lord.” 


Vi 


The morning papers came out with full con- 
firmation of all that had been published. Faring 
headlines stretched clear across the top of all the 
papers and the whole front page was taken up with 
reports of various kinds from various places, of 
the great event which had taken place. 


MESSIAH DESCENDS AT JERUSALEM 


Miracles of the Bible Excelled by Twentieth-Century 
Wonder—Angels from the Celestial World 
Accompany Heavenly Visitor Who 
Appears at the Old Jewish Capital—M ohammedan 
Authorities at Constantinople Extend 
Official Welcome 


New York, June 13.—The earlier reports have been fully 
confirmed, and there seems now to be no doubt that some 
strange celestial visitor has appeared on the earth. He 
was seen to descend out of the air some time yesterday 
morning, and is attended by a small band of companions. 
A vast number of some kind of celestial begs accompanied 
Him, flying in the air, but these disappeared after He had 
alighted safely on the ground. 

He is staying in the Mosque of Omar, on Temple Hill. 


60 HIS RETURN 


This is intensely illuminated by a mysterious light which 
seems to surround Him, and at night the glow, reflected 
from the sky, could be seen for several miles around. It is 
believed that today will bring some statement from Him or 
some explanation of who the mysterious stranger Is. 

New York, June 13.—Associated Press Dispatches from 
Jerusalem give full particulars of the great event which 
occurred there yesterday morning, and which seems likely 
to carry great significance. ‘The remarkable person who 
descended to the earth is now staying in the Mohammedan 
mosque which stands on the spot occupied in ancient times 
by Solomon’s Temple. The mysterious, glittering bright- 
ness which seems to radiate from Him has made everyone 
timid about entering, or even approaching near the build- 
ing, but He has several times appeared on the platform with 
his hands elevated and extended as if in some religious act. 
There are a number of persons with Him, and the opinion 
seems very generaily held that it is Jesus and his twelve 
disciples returned from heaven. 

The particulars of the descent have been carefully col- 
lected from a large number of persons who were actual eye- 
witnesses, and near enough to see with a good degree of 
distinctness. ‘Their stories vary a good deal but there is 
substantial agreement on the main particulars. 

The time of the descent is variously reported from 
“About seven in the morning” to “A little before noon.” 
One report is that it was just as the second mass was being 
concluded in the chapel of the Sinaiatic Fathers near the 
hill, which would make it somewhere between eight and nine 
o’clock. A garrison of native soldiers on the slope of Mount 
Olivet reported that they were just changing guard when 
the bright light was seen, which would indicate about the 
same time. A group of American tourists who were out 
early sightseeing, report first noticing the light from the 


HIS RETURN 61 


Tower of David, and one of them claims to have looked at 
the time and found it just 8:20 a. m. 

The light was first seen as a brilliant spot high above 
the Mount of Olives, and was taken for a meteor or a flash 
of lightning, but it remained steadfast and the sky was 
clear. Gradually it grew larger as it drew nearer, and the 
whole sky was suffused with an intense but peculiar radi- 
ance. Inside of the intense brightness a great many mov- 
ing forms were seen passing hither and thither, as though 
there were a great many living beings of some kind moving 
about. Not till it was quite near were people able to dis- 
tinguish the central object, which appeared to be a man in 
very brilliant clothing. Even in the midst of the great 
brightness this one seemed to shine more intensely than any 
of the rest. 

It was this one, when the company came nearest to the 
earth above Temple Hill, that descended to the ground in 
the open space before the Mohammedan mosque. There 
were a number of other men who descended with Him; some 
said eight, but others insisted that they counted as many 
as twelve. They stood a while after alighting, and the 
central figure lifted His hands in the attitude of some reli- 
gious ceremony such as previously described. Then they 
turned and all walked slowly into one of the anterooms of 
the mosque. ‘There was no one in the mosque at the time, 
which would indicate an early hour before the hour of 
morning prayer. The attendants of the mosque were all 
absent, and on returning were afraid to enter on account 
of the mysterious, intense brightness. 

The British authorities in the city are not willing yet 
to give out any statement regarding the occurrence, but 
say they see nothing which calls for any official interference 
on their part, even if they were able to make any. The 
native officials are very noncommittal, and say they will not 


62 HIS RETURN 


take any steps until they receive advice from the higher 
authorities. 

The populace of the city are greatly excited and yast 
numbers are thronging up toward the Temple Hill, but 
they still keep at a safe distance from the mosque where the 
persons are, through fear of the mysterious light. 

It is believed by many that the mysterious visitor will 
soon make some statement to the people, provided He is 
able to communicate in any known language, or at least 
give some sign which will indicate the purpose of His com- 
ing. It is not generally thought He has come with any 
hostile design, as there has been nothing to indicate prepa- 
ration for anything of the kind, and His appearance at 
the times when he has been seen does not suggest any such 
intentions. If, as the great majority seem to believe, this 
is the historic Jesus returned from heaven to earth, He will 
doubtless soon get into communication with the officials of 
some of the Christian churches, and the matter will be made 
clear. | 

London, June 13.—Special to the Times: Hon. Win- 
gate Grayson, K. C. B., who is on a tour in the East sends 
a graphic account of the great event which has just occurred 
in the city of Jerusalem. Their party arrived in the city 
June 9th, and were staying at the Hotel Plaza, in the west- 
ern part of the city, only about a mile and a half from 
the scene of the descent. He talked with many persons who 
had been eyewitnesses of all that occurred, and he himself 
saw the wonderful appearances in the sky, and later made 
closer observations at the very place where the mysterious 
visitors descended. He gives a vivid report of this most 
wonderful occurrence. 

“The whole city is in commotion today over a wonderful 
and mysterious event which has just transpired here. The 
authorities seem unable to give any adequate explanation, 


HIS RETURN 63 


and the wildest rumors and surmises are current. The most 
popular opinion seems to be that the Jesus of Bible times 
has returned to earth again. This report is circulated by 
the ignorant, superstitious peasantry and is to be taken 
with due reserve, but that something very remarkable has 
occurred is beyond question. 

“Karly this morning, amid a wonderful blaze of glory, 
some celestial being descended out of the sky and came to 
the earth. This very mysterious person is now staying in 
the Mosque of Omar up on Temple Hill, and an intense and 
unexplainable light continually hovers over the place. He 
seems to have several companions or attendants, who are 
still with Him. I was not so fortunate as to be present at 
the time of His arrival, but I have made minute inquiries 
of those who were eyewitnesses and have as far as possible 
corroborated all at the scene of the occurrence. 

“The first appearance was seen shortly before nine o’clock 
this morning. Some observers saw a bright spot high in 
the sky and to the eastward, about over the Mount of Olives. 
It was so brilliant that, although the sun was shining clear 
at the time, it seemed to glitter and glisten in the air. It 
rapidly drew nearer, and had at first the appearance of a 
very bright cloud. As it got near enough to distinguish 
objects, the cloud seemed to be made up of moving forms 
of some kind. Nearer and nearer it came, till 1t stood right 
over the Mohammedan mosque, ‘’The Dome of the Rock,”’ 
on Temple Hill. Then a glittering, bright form was seen 
to descend and come to the ground in the vicinity of the 
mosque. ‘Twelve other forms, a little less brilliant, de- 
scended after the first. at 

“The intense brightness illuminated all parts of the city. 
The light flashed on the windows of our hotel, and many 
ran out, thinking there was a fire. We were at breakfast 
at the time, and the manager soon came in to assure us that 


64 HIS RETURN 


there was no danger, and to give us some report of what 
was taking place. When we went out the whole eastern sky 
was lit up with a splendor that almost made the sun seem 
dim. On all sides people were running, some in terror to 
seek safety, and some in curiosity hastening toward the 
direction where the center of the great spectacle seemed 
to be. 

“T started at once for Temple Hill, and when I reached 
there the whole interior of the mosque where the party 
seems to have retired, was flooded with light, but the intense 
glory in the sky, and the bright, animated cloud, whatever 
it was, had disappeared. A company of soldiers had already 
arrived and were guarding all approaches to the mosque, 
and no one was allowed to enter on any pretext, but I was 
given a promise to have a permit as soon as anyone was 
allowed to enter. 

“Tt is quite evident that some very remarkable epoch- 
making event has happened, and the explanation made by 
the Christian bodies is gradually gaining more and more 
currency.” 

Constantinople, June 13.—The Moslem authorities yes- 
terday received a dispatch from the rulers of the Mosque 
of Omar at Jerusalem, reporting that a miraculous person 
had descended out of the sky and taken possession of the 
mosque. As the strange visitor bore unmistakable marks 
of being of celestial origin, the mosque had been resigned 
to His possession, and the faithful were eagerly waiting for 
further signs of the heavenly purpose. 

This report caused great enthusiasm. ‘The authorities 
immediately telegraphed to Jerusalem formally welcoming 
the heavenly visitant, and officially granting to Him full 
possession of the mosque and all the surrounding grounds 
and buildings. 

The whole city of Constantinople turned out to celebrate 


HIS RETURN 65 


the news last night. Meetings were held in many places 
and excited crowds marched through the streets carrying 
torches and religious banners, and shouting the ancient 
battle cries of the faithful. All the foreign sections were 
strongly guarded by the soldiers, and no violence or loot- 
ing has thus far been reported. 


Vil 


Soon after Norton arrived at the bank next 
morning, the president called him into his private 
office. 

“You are a little more conversant with the church 
and religious matters than the rest of us, and if 
you will pardon the liberty, I have called you in 
to get your opinion on the recent very remarkable 
events which are happening in the East. You are 
well aware how much the financial situation is af- 
fected by world conditions, and how important it 
is for the bank to have a correct understanding of 
them.” 

“I am sure you flatter my religious knowledge, 
but I shall be more than glad to render any service 
Ican. I am afraid, however, that my contribution 
will be disappointing.” 

“You have read the morning papers of course.” 

“The first meager report seems to be fully con- 
firmed, and there seems to be no doubt of the genu- 
ineness of the occurrence.” 

“Do you think the explanation that is given is a 
probable one?” 


66 HIS RETURN 


“That the mysterious visitor is the Lord Jesus 
returned from heaven?” 

“Yes. Has there been reason to expect such an 
event, and is that the meaning of this which is 
reported? Is this mysterious person the Biblical 
Jesus Christ?” 

“Of that I can only give my opinion, and I doubt 
if it has any more. value than your own. There is 
a certain section of the Christian Church which lays 
great stress on their hope of a personal, visible re- 
turn of Jesus Christ to the earth to complete the 
work He left unfinished. ‘They base their hope on 
certain Bible passages which seem specifically to 
predict such a return, and there are a considerable 
number of other prophecies which they construe 
as referring to it.” 

“Does this which is reported from Jerusalem cor- 
respond with what they believe is predicted? Does 
it seem fairly evident that this is a fulfillment of 
those predictions, and really is Jesus Christ re- 
turned?’ 

“There is not: complete agreement as to just 
what kind of events are predicted. Some, I believe, 
look for certain great cataclysmic events in connec- 
tion with His coming. Others postpone these to a 
later date at the end of the world, and make the cir- 
cumstances of His coming more normal. But there 
is general agreement as to the central idea that 
Jesus is coming again and that He will remain and 


HIS RETURN 67 


rule for a long while on this earth. 'That time of 
His presence is given the name of ‘millennium’.” 

“Are you inclined to believe that this is Jesus so 
returned 2” | 

“As I said, my opinion is no better than any other 
man’s, but I think I must say yes. It seems to me 
that interpretation would fit the case, at least as 
some expect it to be, and I have seen no feature of 
it which is inconsistent with that explanation.” 

“Supposing, then, that this really is the Messiah, 
what is likely to be the result of His coming? You 
understand that I speak as a banker. Every great 
event influences the economic situation. We must 
look ahead and make provision for what is to be. 
What will probably be His program? What will 
He do?” 

“Remember that I warned you that my ideas on’ 
this whole subject were very sketchy and imper- 
fect. In a general way I know there is such a 
hope, but as to the particulars and details, I am 
afraid anything I could say would be too unreliable 
to be of any value. If Dr. Goodyear, who spoke 
at the convention Saturday night, were still here, 
he could give you full information. Very probably 
our pastor, Dr. Wharton, could give you a satis- 
factory account.” 

“Do you think he would allow us to call on him 
for an interview?” 

“Yes, if he is not engaged, I am sure he would. 


68 HIS RETURN. 


I will call him up on the telephone and inquire.” 

Norton called the doctor up, and very fortu- 
nately found him in his study. 

“The doctor says he is just on the point of start- 
ing downtown, and will be glad to call in at the 
bank if you wish to see him.” 

“Tell him we will await his coming here. I shall 
also be glad to have you join our conference when 
he comes.” 

In a short time Dr. Wharton arrived at the bank 
and Norton took him in to the president’s office. 

“Well, Doctor, I have often had the pleasure of 
listening to your good sermons, but this is the first 
time I have ever called upon you for pastoral ad- 
vice, and I am afraid now my purpose is more 
financial than spiritual.” 

“Oh, I suppose we preachers, like Paul, are to be 
‘All things to all men.’ It would be more normal, 
though, if it were I who were applying to you for 
the financial advice.” 

“It looks, these last few days, as though finance 
and religion and a number of other things were 
likely to get pretty closely connected.” 

“You have in mind, I presume, the reports we 
have just had from the city of Jerusalem.” 

“Yes, that is the matter I had in mind, and the 
reason for this intrusion on your Monday rest. I 
am considering it from a business standpoint as a 
banker, what influence it may have on finance.” 


HIS RETURN 69 


“I am not sure I see how I can help you there.” 

“You are perhaps aware that money and credit 
are very sensitive things, and every great event in 
any department of life affects them one way or 
the other.” 

“So you naturally suppose that this great event 
is going to affect them, and would like to determine 
in what way.” 

“Just so. I have been talking with your very 
able understudy here about what will be the pro- 
gram if this mysterious person who has appeared 
proves really to be the returned Jesus Christ, as the 
opinion seems gaining ground that He is. Norton 
has modestly referred me to you as able to give in 
more detail what is the expectation with regard 
to Him of those who have made special study of the 
matter.” 

“You mean, what do they hold that the predic- 
tions with regard to His coming say is likely to 
happen?” 

“Precisely. If this coming is a fulfillment of 
these predictions, it seems plausible to expect that 
the predictions of what He will do while here will 
also be fulfilled, and we may make our preparations 
and adjustments accordingly.” 

“You have laid out for me a pretty good sized 
task, especially as there are so many varied opinions 
and interpretations. I can do no more than give 
you just a general idea of one or two.” 


70 HIS RETURN 


‘““T am sure any light you can throw on the sub- 
ject will be very gratefully received and very 
valuable.” 

“One rather prominent view is that the coming 
will be accompanied by the rising from the grave 
of all dead Christians, and a change of the bodies 
of living ones into a spiritual form which can rise 
up and float in the air, while all those not true Chris- 
tians, comprising the very great majority of all the 
people in the world, will be destroyed. This view 
lends itself more easily to vivid emotional appeal 
and affords scope for erudite interpretation of 
scripture, and it is therefore quite in favor with a 
certain class of popular preachers. Now, of course, 
if anything of that kind takes place the world will 
cease to be the kind of world it is now. Anything 
like the kind of life, business and society we have 
now will be entirely out of the question. It will be 
practically the same as what most people consider 
heaven to be.” 

“And of course it would be useless to try to ad- 
just our business situation to fit that state, for, as 
far as one could judge, there would be no use for 
banks and business.” 

“As regards the present question, we may elimi- 
nate that program, for if this is Jesus, He is already 
here without any of those great cataclysmic events, 
so this we are considering is not that kind of coming 
and that program.” 


HIS RETURN 71 


“But there is another and a more normal pro- 
gram of events proposed by other interpreters, I 
understand.” 

“It is not so easy to state the other views, for they 
are very much less definite and clear as to details, 
and less completely worked out to conspicuous 
great dénouements. ‘Three things, perhaps, most 
characterize them: 

“First. The great privilege and blessedness of 
actual visible fellowship with Jesus. 

“Second. The conversion of the whole heathen 
world, which it is held the ordinary missionary ef- 
fort will never accomplish. 

“Third. The personal reign of Jesus as sovereign 
of the whole world, righting all the wrongs and giv- 
ing perfect justice and perfect government to all 
men.” 

“It is only with the last of these, I presume, that 
we as business men would be primarily concerned. 
That one, however, must affect us very intimately 
indeed, though just in what way is not yet fully 
apparent.” 

“IT am sorry I can not give you more satisfactory 
information germane to your line. I think, how- 
ever, if this proves to be as most now believe, the 
second advent of the Messiah, the program most 
plausible to expect from Him would be along the 
line of the three particulars I have just now 
noted.” 


72 HIS RETURN 


“T am sure all honest bankers will be pleased to 
have a reign of perfect justice and good govern- 
ment. As for you in the churches, is it not true 
that the matter of fellowship with the personal 
Jesus is coming more and more prominently to the 
front as the chief motive and chief appeal of re- 
ligion on its emotional side? And I presume the 
church boards and collecting agencies will feel a 
great load lifted off their shoulders if the world is 
all miraculously converted, and there is no more 
need of collecting money and sending out men for 
foreign missions.” 


Vill 


The evening papers came out again with full 
page flare heads, and still further reports and dis- 
patches from various places. It was only the sec- 
ond day, but events were developing very rapidly. 


CELESTIAL VISITOR DECLARED TO 
BE MESSIAH 


World Rule to Be Established—Companions Are the 
Twelve Apostles—Heavy Drop in Consols 
—Tokyo Sends Special Envoy 


Jerusalem, June 13.—About ten o’clock this morning 
one of the persons who are in attendance on the celestial 
visitor was seen to come out from the mosque where all are 
staying, and advance toward the open space near the west- 
ern gate of the inclosure, where a dense crowd was congre- 


HIS RETURN 78 


gated. After an elaborate and ceremonious salutation he 
began to make a speech, but the language was such that no 
one could understand what was being said. 

It eventually occurred to someone that the words were 
probably ancient Hebrew, and inquiry was made whether 
there was anyone present who understood that language. 
Someone found an old Jewish apothecary named Isador 
Israels, who had a little shop down in the lower bazaar. He 
had considerable reputation for learning among his com- 
panions, and agreed to see what he could do. After listen- 
ing a while he said that the language was not pure Hebrew 
but a dialect closely allied to the ancient Aramaic. He had 
studied it some in his youth, but was not sure whether he 
could remember it sufficiently to make out the stranger’s 
message. 

The chief of police, who was present, made signs to the 
speaker, and old Isador was led forward to communicate 
with him. He found it very difficult at first to recall enough 
words of the ancient tongue to express himself, but gradu- 
ally he got the speaker to understand that the language he 
used was not understood by the people. He himself under- 
stood it, though not very perfectly; still if the honorable 
envoy would speak his message very slowly and simply to 
him, he would do his best to interpret it to the people. 

The speaker seemed much surprised that his language 
should not be understood in that place, but he acceded to 
the request, and began again and made his explanations to 
the old apothecary and he reported to the crowd. 

He said he was there to make a formal announcement of 
the purpose of their party. As all doubtless understood, 
the heavenly visitor was the Lord Jesus Christ, returned 
from heaven to begin His rule over the nations of the world. 
With Him had come His twelve apostles, according to the 
promise that they “Should sit on twelve thrones judging 


74 HIS RETURN 


the twelve tribes of Israel.” He himself was the Apostle 
Peter. He said that ‘All authority had been given to 
Jesus in heaven and in earth,” and all the kingdoms of the 
world were given to Him for a possession. 

As soon as convenient the Lord Jesus would like to meet 
the representatives of the different nations and make suit- 
able arrangements for taking over their governments. He 
understood that many of the nations now did not have kings 
over them and affairs were left in a looser state, managed in 
someway by the people themselves, but he presumed they 
would have some sort of officials that could meet with the 
Lord and make the necessary arrangements. | 

He had heard that some kind of means had been devised 
for the very rapid transmission of messages all over the 
world, and if there were any of the magistrates or authori- 
ties of the city present in the audience they were hereby 
directed to have such messages sent to all the nations, an- 
nouncing the arrival of the Lord, and instructing them to 
have their rulers or accredited envoys come here that suit- 
able plans and arrangements might be made. 

They themselves also were directed to come into audience 
with the Lord Jesus to receive full instructions so that 
formal authoritative decrees might be sent out in regard 
to the matter. If there were any princes or free born citi- 
zens of other and distant countries in the city, they also 
were invited to come into conference. 

He took this occasion to remind them that though a great 
many men would have to be appointed for the details of 
administration in all lands, only men of good character and 
exemplary lives need hope to receive such appointments. 

On behalf of the Lord Jesus he wished to extend a bene- 
diction of peace and good will to all men of sincere and 
honest hearts. 

It is needless to say that this message produced a pro- 


HIS RETURN 75 


found impression, for though the speaker was somewhat. 
antiquated in his manners and ideas, yet, remembering the 
celestial origin of these persons, and the miraculous signs 
that had attended their coming and still surrounded their 
presence, it was felt by all that he was really the spokes- 
man of undeniable authority, backed by irresistible power. 
All the officials of the city, as well as all consular agents 
and other foreign representatives in the city, were notified, 
and arrangements made for a preliminary conference in the 
afternoon, to be followed by a personal interview later 
directly with the Lord Jesus. 

Jerusalem, June 13.—Great satisfaction is felt in the city 
that a statement has now come from the celestial visitor, 
declaring Himself the Messiah, and the tension is greatly 
relieved. While the style of the communication seems 
somewhat naive and simple for the twentieth century, and 
the whole demeanor of the party somewhat peculiar, yet it 
is quite in consonance with the quiet deportment of the 
Jesus known in history, and not strange from persons 
trained in the usages of a far ancient era. 

Much speculation is heard as to what will be the treat- 
ment of the messages by the various nations, and whether 
it will be necessary for the new sovereign to call into use 
the miraculous coercive power which it is believed by many 
is at His disposal. Events are moving quite swiftly, and we 
shall probably have further enlightenment in the course of 
a few days, or hours. 

Paris, June 13.—Dispatches from Jerusalem report that 
the mysterious visitor has declared Himself to be the Mes- 
siah come to reign over the nations of the world. Consols 
dropped twenty points, and there has been a sharp decline 
in all securities. Official confirmation of the report, how- 
ever, has not yet been received. 

Tokyo, June 13.—The Japanese consul at Port Said has 


76 HIS RETURN 


been ordered to proceed at once to Jerusalem, to make a 
full investigation of the nature of the occurrences there, 
and their political import if any, and report to the govern- 
ment here. 

A large number of other reports and dispatches 
from various places were also published, and most 
of the papers were embellished with large cuts of 
the Mosque of Omar, and other prominent buildings 
in the sacred city. 


IX 


The later editions had the following special dis- 
patch: 


Jerusalem, June 13.—At the informal meeting held this 
afternoon, of the various consular agents, together with the 
chief civil and military officials in the city, it was decided 
that a representative delegation should wait upon the celes- 
tial visitor, or Messiah, to offer Him some kind of appro- 
priate formal welcome or recognition, and receive any mes- 
sage or directions He might wish to give. 

A commission was selected for this errand, consisting of 
the resident consuls of the United States, Great Britain 
and France, with the Japanese consul who had come up 
from Port Said, and Count Montrovari of Italy, the Italian 
consul being absent, together with the mayor or governor 
of the city and Major Banks, the ranking officer of the 
military forces in the city. They also took with them the 
old Isador Israels, in case it should be necessary to use an 
interpreter in communicating. 

The party reached the mosque about 4:45, and were met 
by two of the attendants, later learned to be the apostles, 
Andrew and Philip. They welcomed them very courteously, 


HIS RETURN 17 


led them in and made signs for them to wait while they 
went to bring their Lord. 

The figure of the Messiah, when He appeared, was very 
majestic. The glistening brilliance which had distinguished 
His person and clothing when He first appeared, still con- 
tinued, but it had been very much moderated, so that it was 
quite possible to look at Him now without discomfort. 

His face wore a most benign smile, as He approached, 
and His first act when He came near was to raise His hands 
in benediction, and all instinctively fell on their knees as 
He repeated over them a blessing. 

He spoke to them in the English language, and as for- 
tunately all the party understood it there was no need for 
an interpreter. 

He said, He presumed they had come in response to the 
invitation given by His apostle Peter this morning. He had 
not required so immediate an interview, but He was very 
glad the response had been so prompt, as it augured well 
for an obedience and a readiness to receive Him now, which 
would make the results of this coming quite different from 
those when He was here before. 

He assumed they all understood that the purpose of His 
coming now was to take sovereign command and control 
of all the nations of the world, and to personally rule and 
govern them with justice and righteousness. 

As the form of government and rule was very different 
in the various nations, each nation might take its own 
method to acknowledge His sovereignty, and turn over its 
rule and administration to Him. He would not be unduly 
hasty but would allow liberal time for the necessary details 
of the transfer to be effected, but He would expect some 
definite and declarative action to be taken with reasonable 
promptness, and hoped that there would be no failure in 
that, as otherwise it would be necessary for Him to assume 


78 HIS RETURN 


control without formal consent, which might entail some 
unpleasant complications. 

He wished that all consular and other agents in the city 
would immediately communicate with their governments and 
bring the matter before them for their prompt action. He 
would not, of course, expect any definite replies so early, 
but it might expedite fuller understanding to appoint 
another meeting with them tomorrow afternoon at five 
o’clock. He would be glad if all the other consular agents, 
and other representatives and men of influence from all the 
countries, would come with them at that time. 


PART Ill 


The Pharisees came, seeking of Him 
a sign from heaven, tempting Him. 
Mk. 8:11. 


PART III 
I 


Meanwhile life had been going on almost as usual 
in the city of Brockton. The children had gone to 
school as usual and, although there was a good deal 
of suppressed excitement apparent among the teach- 
ers and older pupils, yet lessons went on in regular 
order. Elsie in her work in the primary room, did 
not find her little folks much affected, but she her- 
self had been deeply impressed by all the news that 
had come, and found it difficult to keep her mind 
and her heart concentrated on her homely duties. 

Elsie was the only daughter of Professor C. F. 
Burton, for many years professor of history in Ben- 
ham College. He had died about five years ago, and 
her mother had followed three years later. Not 
much worldly wealth had been left to her, but she 
had inherited a gentle, generous, loving disposition 
that had endeared her to all who came in contact with 
her. She was specially liked by the children and 
had been very successful as a teacher of the a 
department in one of the city schools. 

She was glad when the hour for dismissal came. 
Winifred Sefton and Gladys Holmes, two of the 
other teachers in the building, her most intimate 

80 


HIS RETURN 81 


friends, were waiting for her in the halls, and she 
asked them to come on home with her. On the way 
they overtook Ruth Stuart, another intimate friend, 
and took her along. ‘There was but one thing they 
could talk about when the teacups had done their 
duty and they were all comfortably ensconced in 
their favorite nooks of Elsie’s cozy quarters. 

“TIsn’t it wonderful!” said Gladys. “I feel as if 
we were only characters in a story, and it is hard to 
realize that it is actually true.” 

And right after that beautiful sermon by Dr. 
Goodyear explaining it all to us,” said Winifred. 

“Won't he be delighted?” said Ruth. “I wonder 
if he isn’t as much surprised and bewildered as the 
rest of us.” 

“T think it is so, dear,” said Elsie, “that he is to 
get his great wish gratified. You remember his 
closing words Sunday morning.” 

“Yes, and you know what he said about us Satur- 
day night. I have been thinking pretty seriously 
about that lately.” 

“How strange it will seem to really see Him and 
have Him talk to us.” 

“And to have Him walk into our school rooms 
some day and make a beautiful talk to the children,” 
said Ruth. 

“Remember how the women used to follow Him 
and minister to Him. I think I could do that,” said 
the practical Winifred, who had two older brothers. 


82 HIS RETURN 


‘Do you suppose He will come to visit us in our 
homes as He did to Martha and Mary in Bethany?” 

“T don’t know how to cook, so I shall have the 
place of Mary then,” said Gladys. 

“IT am going to go home and read my Bible all 
through,” said Ruth, “so that I will know how to 
talk with Him.” 

“Do you suppose He would let us form a band of 
women disciples to come every day and listen to His 
teaching ?” 

“T will get Him to cure my earache. You know 
how I suffered with it last winter.” 

“What a change it will make in everything when 
we can go right to Him with all our questions and 
troubles, and He will tell us just what is right.” 

“Oh, I can hardly wait till the time comes to see 
Him.” 

“And to think that we never thought much about 
it before we heard that sermon Saturday night. 
He might have come and found us entirely unpre- 
pared to meet Him.” 


IT 


Young Welton was at the Enbrights for supper 
again Monday night. Indeed it was fast develop- 
ing into a habit. Of course the one great topic 
claimed most of the conversation. Mrs. Enbright’s 
brother, John, from New York, head of the John 
Mills & Sons Hardware Co., was there. 


HIS RETURN 83 


‘““How is the news being received in New York, 
John?” said Mrs. Enbright. 

“It hasn’t made as much stir as you might think, 
Ellen,” he replied. “Of course the papers are full 
of it, with extras coming out every few hours. But 
we are so fed up with excitements and new things 
there that our mental apparatus for wonder and en- 
thusiasm gets rather numbed.” 

“What do people think of His demand that all the 
governments hand over their authority to Him? Do 
they think it will be done without a struggle? Or 
was the news received before you left?” 

“An extra was out just as I was getting on the 
train. I talked with quite a number of men on the 
way down. Most of them thought that if this really 
is the divine being He is reported to be, there is no 
question but He will get the control of all the na- 
tions, if He wants it. Some thought there would be 
a great struggle, and He would have to use His 
almighty power to overthrow or destroy His oppo- 
nents. Quite a number thought if He would only 
do some great spectacular miracle so that everybody 
would have no doubt of His real and infinite power, 
the transfer would be granted without very much 
opposition.” 

“What do you think about it, father?” said Ger- 
trude. 

“Well, it seems to me if He really is Jesus, and a 
divine being, He doubtless knew what would be the 


84 HIS RETURN 


result of His demands before He came, and He 
would see to it beforehand that the time and circum- 
stances were favorable for His success.” 

“Do not scholars claim,” said Welton, “that His 
coming is foretold in the Bible, and many of the cir- 
cumstances are predicted? If I recall aright, I 
think they speak of wars and famines and earth- 
quakes in connection with it.” 

“Those are the signs and forerunners, are they 
not? If so have we not had themall? There was the 
great earthquake in Japan, the earlier one in San 
Francisco, besides numerous other earthquakes and 
destructive volcanic eruptions. As for famines, for 
years now the world has had a continuous famine 
camp somewhere, central Hurope, Russia, China, 
India. 'The most sweeping destruction might have 
resulted from these if such enormous contributions 
had not been made by the more favored lands, and 
transportation been possible to make it available.” 

“‘As for war, there is no question but we have had 
enough of that,” said someone. 

“It certainly does look like the predictions were 
well fulfilled.” 

“It is more than that. It is preparation. The 
earthquakes have awed men’s minds. The famine 
relief has drawn their hearts together, and the great 
war and its terrible aftermath have made them ready 
for anything that gives promise of stability and 
peace. Disappointed with the futility of human 


HIS RETURN, 85 


power and wisdom, many think they see signs that 
men’s minds are turning now to God, with a more 
real appreciation of His presence and dependence 
on His power and wisdom. If this really is the 
divine ruler come down from heaven, it would not 
be strange if at least all those nations now in such 
distress should hail Him as the great deliverer. With 
all those nations under His domain, and with His 
great power and prestige, the other nations would 
not be likely to try to hold out against Him.” 

After supper Welton and Gertrude strolled out 
to the arbor in the twilight. Their talk had wan- 
dered off to quite other topics than those of the sup- 
per table, for youth and June time were both here 
claiming right of way. But the stars were glim- 
mering down through the trellis, and after a mo- 
ment of silence Gertrude said: 

“Isn’t the sky wonderful tonight? The stars 
twinkle down at us so bright and cheerful. And 
yet the astronomers say that they are countless 
millions of miles away, distances too great to even 
imagine.” 

“This old earth is a pretty good place for us,” 
said Welton. “Fortunately we don’t have to go 
away up to any of them.” 

“T was thinking: How can heaven be up beyond 
the stars? If this is Jesus we are reading about in 
the papers, and He has just come down from heaven, 
and if that is up beyond the stars, even the two thou- 


86 HIS RETURN, 


sand years since He left the earth would not be suffi- 
cient for such a journey. Where is heaven any- 
way?” 

“IT am afraid you will have to give the answer. 
You know we doctors, some way, have the reputation 
of not being very long on knowledge about heavenly 
matters.” 

“I think I have read someone’s idea that heaven 
is right about us. God is always here. Physical 
distances mean nothing to spirits, except as they are 
in bodies. ‘To free spirits there is no far or distant. 
If that is so, then this Jesus may have been nearer 
to us before in His spiritual state than He is now in 
far-off Jerusalem.” 

“Well, that would not be very much out of tune 
with modern psychology. There are a great many 
experiments and abnormal occurrences, usually 
grouped under the name of telepathy, which seem to 
indicate that the mind, in certain special states, has 
just this power of being present or seeing and doing 
things almost anywhere at will.” 

“Science says some strange things, doesn’t it? 
However, the Bible says that is true of God’s spirit. 
And Jesus said He would be with us always, mean- 
ing His spirit, I suppose.” 

“And that is His real self, is it not? Some way 
we tend to think of spirit as something hazy and 
mysterious, instead of the real self, the real ‘I.’ The 
spirit, not the body, is the real person.” 


HIS RETURN 87 


“Yes, of course, that is true when we stop to con- 
sider. And I think we feel it sometimes, too. It 
seems to me I get help just from the personality and 
silent influence of refined persons. Isn’t that a sort 
of spirit contact?” 

“I am sure it is. And it is one of the most impor- 
tant thing's in life when one has opportunity to enjoy 
it. My time is spent so much among persons of a - 
different quality. But when I can spend an eve- 
ning here with you it does give me a new hold on 
hies 

“Iam gladif thatis so. I wish I were able to help 
you some. Your work, especially among the poor, 
is so noble and often so trying and so little appre- 
ciated.” 

“You do help me more than you know,” said 
Welton. 

They sat in silence a few moments, while both 
had a quiet intuition of the way in which they were 
drifting, and were not sure but they were glad it 
was so. ‘They were recalled to earth by the noise of 
the car that drew up to take Uncle John to catch 
the 10:30 train for home. 


IIT 


More wonders were in store, and ‘Tuesday morn- 
ing seemed to bring the climax. A great palace 
had in some mysterious manner appeared on the site 
where the Mosque of Omar had stood. Many of 


88 HIS RETURN, 


the papers displayed on the front page large pic- 
tures of this building, made partly from fancy and 
partly from the descriptions in the dispatches. 

Of course the papers go to press by one or two 
o'clock in the morning, but the seven or eight hours’ 
difference of time between New York and Jeru- 
salem enabled them to get dispatches about things 
happening there as late as eight or nine o’clock. 

This last event furnished the test that had been 
suggested, giving a conspicuous and spectacular 
miracle as proof to impress all minds with the al- 
mighty power and real authority of the celestial 
visitor. 


WHOLE WORLD ASTONISHED BY NEW 
WONDER 


Mighty Miracle at the Mohammedan Mosque 
King of Kings and Lord of Lords 
Messiah Magnificently Magnified 
Stupendous Palace Arises on Summit of Temple Hill 
Mohammedan Hierarchy Accept New Sovereign 
Parliament Asked to Act 


Jerusalem, June 14.—Early this morning the most 
stupendous miracle of history occurred, and the whole world 
is dumb with astonishment. 

Last night the gentle radiance was still hovering over the 
Mosque of Omar, the ‘Dome of the Rock,’ but this morn- 
ing a new glory has appeared whose splendor shines on 


HIS RETURN 89 


all about, and the spires and domes of a new and gorgeous 
**Aladdin’s Palace” glisten in the morning sun. 

The early risers were apprised of something new and 
strange in the region where the mysterious strangers have 
been staying, and going to the spot found that a vast and 
magnificent palace had some way taken the place of the 
mosque on the top of the hill. Whether it had come down 
from heaven or sprung up miraculously in the night, no 
one could tell, but there it stood, enormous, massive and 
magnificent, looking down in majesty on all the little shops 
and houses that surround it. 

Of course it was but a short time till an immense crowd 
had gathered to see the new wonder. No noise had been 
heard during the night, and even the people sleeping in the 
nearby houses had not been wakened. What had become of 
the mosque was not apparent, whether it was incorporated 
in this structure, or its material expanded to make the larger 
building as the “Loaves and Fishes” were multiplied to feed 
the great multitude, or whether it had been annihilated by 
the same power that had created the magnificent new palace, 
no one knew. But the new structure was there, in form too 
solid and substantial to leave room for doubt in anyone’s 
mind. 

The material of which it is built seems like a very firm, 
fine-grained marble or granite, only more lustrous, and it 
is not built stone upon stone, but formed in a single piece 
like one great monolith. Vast pillars tower aloft, sur- 
mounted by arches and pediments, all apparently of one 
solid continuous piece. ‘The inside walls are covered with 
a semi-transparent substance something like glass but 
iridescent and tinted with the most bewildering shades and 
colors. The floors seemed to be of silver, and the doors, 
casings and other ornamental fittings of gold. Solid ma- 
hogany cases and tables were in the reception and commit- 


90 HIS RETURN 


tee rooms, and luxurious chairs and settees, upholstered in 


russet leather were all about. 
Above the main entrance in large letters are the words: 


DDINA IST DDI AID 
which is the Hebrew for the meaning: 
“KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS” 


Central in the building is one large room, apparently a 
throne room, or audience chamber. At the far side of this 
there is a raised dias with a seat or throne, all of the most 
elaborate and magnificent workmanship. Flanking this 
main apartment on each side are six smaller rooms of similar 
form and appointments, twelve in all, corresponding to the 
twelve companions of the mysterious stranger, or Messiah 
as doubtless now we must call him, suggesting, it has been 
claimed, that they are to govern the twelve tribes of the 
Jews, as the Messiah is to be the sovereign of the whole 
world. 

There is an immense number of smaller rooms and apart- 
ments in the building evidently designed for the offices of 
the men who will be appointed to the headship of the vari- 
ous divisions and departments of the world government 
when it is organized. 

Some have tried to suggest a coincidence, as this is the 
Third Day since his arrival, with the reported saying of 
the Christ, “Destroy this temple made with hands and 
within three days I will build another made without hands,” 
but this building is very manifestly not a temple for wor- 
ship but a great palace or administration building for the 
offices of government. 

Constantinople, June 14.—A most remarkable decision 
was made yesterday by the Moslem conference in session 
here. It will be sent out as a decree and will have momen- 


HIS RETURN 91 


tous and far-reaching results, affecting as it does the more 
than two hundred million Mohammedan people in the world. 
By a remarkable coincidence, representatives of both of the 
great sects of Mohammedans, the Sunites and the Shiites, 
were in conclave in Constantinople, seeking some way to 
reconcile their differences, when the great event occurred at 
Jerusalem, so both participated in the conference, and the 
decree will go out with the approval and authority of the 
heads of both sects, and will thus be accepted by the whole 
Mohammedan world. 

It is a well known fact that the Koran and the Moham- 
medan cult recognizes the validity of the early Jewish re- 
ligion and the teaching about God. They also recognize 
the genuineness of Jesus Christ, though not the correct- 
ness of our gospel histories about Him. They believe He 
came with authority from God, but was later superseded by 
Mohammed, who was given universal and plenary authority 
in the world. 

The celestial visitor had declared Himself to be Jesus 
Christ. He had made His appearance at, and taken pos- 
session of, their own sacred Mosque of Omar, thus indicat- 
ing that His mission was to the men of Mohammedan faith. 
All the circumstances at the time and since His coming had 
been so convincing that the council unanimously decided 
that this person really was Jesus Christ, and that He had 
come to take over the world power. Their conclusion was 
that Mohammed would now reign in heaven and Jesus Christ 
would rule as sovereign over the nations of the world. All 
Mohammedans everywhere were therefore commanded to 
give to Jesus Christ the same loyalty and obedience which 
they had hitherto given to Mohammed. 

This decision had already been reached yesterday, before 
the miraculous construction of the palace building at Jeru- 
salem, the report of which has just been received here. 


92 HIS RETURN 


That stupendous miracle coming to confirm the decision that 
the council had already reached has made a great impres- 
sion and caused tremendous enthusiasm for the new dis- 
pensation. The decree will immediately be sent out, 
acquainting all Mohammedans throughout the world with 
the new revelation, and ordering them to arm themselves 
and get ready to begin the conquest of the world for the 
new Lord. 

A formal decree was also adopted and will be sent to the 
celestial king today, offering the full allegiance of the 
Mohammedan world. 

London, June 14.—Sir Henry Bartlett yesterday arose 
in parliament and offered an interpellation to the govern- 
ment asking what steps they are going to take in reference 
to the demand coming from the mysterious person in Jerusa- 
Jem, claiming universal authority over all the nations of the 
world. 


IV 


Tuesday forenoon old Solomon Abrams called at 
the bank to close his account. He was the propri- 
etor of a second-hand furniture store down on East 
Main Street, a quiet, kindly soul, with considerable 
force of character, and one of the lay readers in the 
local Jewish congregation which met once a month 
in the Woodmen’s Hall. He was an honest, inof- 
fensive person, respected and liked by those who 
knew him, yet quite capable of driving a profitable 
bargain when opportunity offered. 

He had about four thousand dollars on deposit 
in the savings department of the bank, and wished to 
withdraw that deposit. He had turned over the 


HIS RETURN 93 


management of his store to his brother-in-law, and 
he was getting ready to start to Jerusalem. As 
soon as the first reports came he had sized up the 
situation and got ready so he could act at once when 
the reports should be confirmed. 

The celestial visitor was their own Messiah. This 
was the kind of Messiah they had always looked fer. 
His nation had rejected Him when He came before, 
but there should be no repetition of that mistake 
now. He knew his race, and knew they would flock 
to the standard now, and the first that came would 
stand the best chance to get the good appointments. 

He did not aspire to any great position as a gov- 
ernor or other high official, but the All-Wise one 
who knew the heart would see that he had been an 
honest, upright man, and had already shown some 
ability to rule in jthe synagogue and as arbiter 
among his brethren, and might at least give him a 
position as judge or magistrate in some city or 
town, perhaps in his own city of Brockton here. 

He said he was leaving on the 4:30 train. He 
had given his brother-in-law full authority as his 
agent to collect bills or transact any other business 
that affected him. 

Two or three other members of the Jewish frater- 
nity were also known to be leaving on the midnight 
train. 

During the day Norton had occasion to call at 
the office of Bender and Foley, attorneys-at-law, 


94 HIS RETURN 


over in the Clarke Building. Mack Clanston and 
four or five of his henchmen were there discussing 
the recent events. Seeing Norton coming in, they 
thought they might get some ideas from him that 
would enable them to size up the situation to their 
future advantage. 

“Well, Norton,” said Mack, “I see you have got 
your religion onto the front page of the newspapers 
in pretty large type.” 

“You refer, I suppose, to the recent events that 
have been reported from Jerusalem.” 

“Perhaps you church people can put us world- 
lings wise to what is really going on over there.” 

“T have no other facts than what have appeared 
in the papers, which you all have read.” 

“I thought,” said Bender, “that this Jesus busi- 
ness was all finished up two thousand years ago. 
Are they planning to spring a new religion on us or 
something?” 

“Don’t get too gay, Jim,” said Foley. “A little 
religion, either new or old wouldn’t hurt you any, 
only it would feel mighty lonesome in your system.” 

“If this is really Jesus Christ, what is He going 
to do?” said a heavy-set man named Orin Carter, 
a contractor and builder. The miraculous appear- 
ing of the big palace building had impressed him 
greatly. “Whatis He here for? Such a big display 
and His descending that way out of the sky, must 
mean something is going to happen.” 


HIS RETURN 95 


“I wish I could enlighten you gentlemen as to 
that. I wish as much as you do to know. I believe, 
however, the opinion of many is that He has come 
now to rule the world, to purify the politics and 
right all the wrongs of society. That, I suppose is 
something that will interest you folks.” 

“He has got a pretty big job if He tackles that,” 
said Foley. 

“T think we probably could give Him some point- 
ers when He starts in over here,” said Bender. 

“Really now,” said Mack, “we have always 
given the people pretty good government when 
we have been in, even though we have made some- 
thing out of it for ourselves. He might do worse 
than to get in touch with some of us practical men 
who know what is what, and how to do things. It 
will be just as well to keep our eyes open and see 
how things shape themselves. Someone has got to 
be His agent to look after the local situation here 
when He is at the head.” 


Vv 


The evening papers had further particulars about 
the new building which had miraculously appeared. 
It was an enormously large structure, occupying 
nearly a third of the great inclosure in which the 
mosque stood. 

The building was in two parts, one comprising the 
great throne room with the twelve minor audience 


96 HIS RETURN 


rooms, and a large number of other auxiliary rooms 
and apartments. The other part was purely for ad- 
ministrative purposes. It was nine stories in height, 
and was fitted up with elevators and all the usual 
conveniences of a modern office building. It would 
furnish administration headquarters and working 
offices for a very large personnel when the new or- 
ganization was fully set up and manned. 

The papers contained many further dispatches 
about the incidents and appearances connected with 
the descent, some of them adding new features, but 
all quite consistent with those received earlier. ‘There 
were also a large number of dispatches from various 
quarters, reflecting the impression that had been 
made by the great occurrences, and especially by the 
profound display of miraculous power shown in the 
sudden and supernatural erection of the enormous 
palatial building. Some of these dispatches were of 
considerable interest. 


Stockholm, June 14.—The following message was dis- 
patched today to Jerusalem to the divine Messiah who has 
descended there: 

“The king of Sweden sends loyal greetings to the re- 
turned Messiah, and wishes to place his kingdom and all 
its institutions and resources at the disposal of the ‘King 
of Kings and Lord of Lords.’ A formal resolution will 
be introduced in our parliament, carrying out these pur- 
poses, and I will use all my power and influence to have it 
unanimously adopted.” 


Signed, REX. 


HIS RETURN 97 


Madrid, June 14.—The king of Spain today dispatched 
a long message to the Pope, asking his opinion and advice 
as to the new and strange developments which are transpir- 
ing in Jerusalem. He said, as a loyal Catholic he has always 
held his rights and powers by the grace of the head of the 
church. If Jesus has really returned from heaven to as- 
sume universal power and reign, he sees no other course 
than to loyally offer his submission and put the administra- 
tion of the kingdom into His hands. All the people will be 
true to their traditional piety, and will welcome with 
enthusiasm the direct reign of their heavenly sovereign. 

The leader of the clerical party has been suddenly ele- 
vated to supreme notice and power. He has prepared a bill 
which the government has accepted, and which doubtless 
will be passed by the assembly, fully indorsing the king’s 
position, and formally offering the loyal obedience of Spain 
and the administration of all her affairs, to the descended 
King of Heaven. 

Pretoria, S. Africa, June 14.—An insurrection has 
broken out in Natal among some of the native tribes in the 
vicinity of Ladysmith. The news from Jerusalem has 
worked upon their highly religious and emotional natures, 
and they are gathering in vast hordes, singing, and shout- 
ing that the Year of Jubilee has come, and demanding that 
the white man be cast out and they be left in full, undis- 
turbed possession of their country. 


VI 


The later editions contained accounts of the audi- 
ence of the consuls and other national representa- 
tives with the Messiah which had been appointed for 
the afternoon at five o’clock. There was a very full 
attendance, more than sixty-five in all being present. 


98 HIS RETURN 


They were received in state in the great audience 
room, the Messiah taking his place on the raised dias 
or throne. 

The consul of Denmark, being the dean or senior 
member of the official company, acted as spokesman. 
He offered the greetings and reverence of all his 
associates to the heavenly potentate. He said that 
all had complied with His directions and communi- 
cated His message to their respective governments, 
but of course it was too early yet to expect any defi- 
nite replies. He as well as all the rest of his col- 
leagues, was fully convinced by what they had al- 
ready seen, of the undoubted divine standing and 
plenary authority which substantiated the demands 
which had been made, and he trusted that the elapse 
of the moderate interval necessary to fulfill the re- 
quired formalities and carry out the constitutional 
procedure, would find all their countries loyally and 
enthusiastically under the protection of His benign 
rule. 

In return the Messiah said that He was deeply 
gratified by the manly and loyal statement that had 
been made. His purpose was not to be a tyrant and 
lord it over the liberties of people, but to act as a just 
judge and protector, righting the wrongs, correct- 
ing the injustice and reforming the evils and defects 
which had hitherto so abounded in the governments 
of men. 

His government would be for all the world with- 


HIS RETURN 99 


out the prejudice of national boundaries, and He 
would immediately begin the work of organizing 
that government and selecting its officials. Since 
they would all be responsible directly to Him, this 
should put an end to the strife between nations, so 
that the whole world might be blessed with peace and 
brotherhood. 

He had no intention of overriding men’s free wills 
and making them into machines in order to cause 
them to do what was right. He did, however, bring 
them divine wisdom to correct the mistakes of the 
past and to plan correct laws for the future. Just 
and impartial laws, with willmg obedience on the 
part of men, were the conditions and the assurance 
of true prosperity and happiness. So now a glori- 
ous future was brought within their reach. If they 
would follow His teaching faithfully and adminis- 
ter all things as He should direct, without self-seek- 
ing or corruption, they could now have a perfect 
government. So if He could always have honest, 
unselfish codperation from all His subordinates, His 
mission here would be successful, and a new and 
brighter era would dawn for mankind. 

After the interview all the officials returned deeply 
impressed by the benign majesty of the presence into 
which they had been permitted to come. Under its 
spell they could not but have high hopes and noble 
purposes, as they looked forward to this, the greatest 
revolution the world had ever seen. 


100 HIS RETURN, 


It transpired later that a very remarkable tele- 
gram had been received that day by the German 
consul. It was dated from Doorn, Holland, and 
was from the former German Emperor William. 


Doorn, June 14.—To the consul of the German Empire 
at Jerusalem: You are hereby instructed to convey to the 
returned Messiah my greetings and welcome, and to give 
Him on my behalf this message: “I have learned with sincere 
joy of your descent to earth to take your rightful place as 
sovereign of the nations. I regret that through some tem- 
porary infelicities in my circumstances I am unable to ren- 
der you the assistance in your aims that I should otherwise 
have rejoiced to give. I would suggest that if you will use 
your authority to undo the outrageous wrong which was 
perpetrated in the recent convention at Versailles and re- 
store me to my rightful authority, I can confidently under- 
take within a short time to organize again the resources of 
my empire and put an army in the field that will overcome 
all opposition and quickly put you in possession of all the 
kingdoms of the world. In this connection I would humbly 
remind you of the close alliance there has always been be- 
tween me and the Supreme Being in all the acts of my long 
reign. 

Signed, WitHELM, Rex. et Imp. 


This message in some way came to the knowledge 
of the foreign community in the city and caused con- 
siderable quiet amusement. One irreverent hearer 
suggested that Jesus had received a similar offer in 
almost identical terms when He was here before, but 
had turned it down then, though that offer came 


HIS RETURN 101 


from a person quite as powerful and possibly also as 
sincere and reliable as the present one.* 


Vil 7 


In the evening Mr. Waters had the meeting with 
the heads of the various labor unions in the B. N. 
Williams Novelty Works. He had chosen to begin 
his campaign with them because their relations with 
the company had always been so satisfactory. It 
would for that reason be easier to get them into 
cordial touch with other bodies, beginning’ success- 
fully his plan of winning sympathetic alliances. 

Mr. Williams, the founder and manager, had 
once been a laboring man himself, employed in one 
of the factories of the Stamford Hardware Co. He 
had invented and patented a number of small arti- 
cles, such as a window fastener, a patent clothespin, 
some sewing machine attachments and the like. Suc- 
ceeding in getting some capital and backing he had 
begun manufacturing them himself. Other things 
were added gradually, and the works grew till they 
finally attained their present proportions, employing 
a little over eighteen hundred men. 

He was specially fair to his operatives, paying the 
highest wages, providing rest rooms and a dining 
hall for lunches, besides a library, athletic grounds 
and various other so called “institutional features.” 
He also provided a plan for the workers to become 





*Cf. Matt. 4:8-10. 


102 HIS RETURN 


stockholders in the business on specially favorable 
terms. 

Mr. Waters laid his general scheme before the 
delegates of the unions. He said labor unionism was 
now past the merely belligerent stage of fighting for 
its existence. It was now an acknowledged and ac- 
credited member of the modern social system, and as 
such must begin to get into fraternal relations and 
alliances with the other factors of society. 

' After explaining more in detail the purpose and 
methods of the new movement he had in mind, he 
laid before them as a first venture in the new cam- 
paign, the invitation, which in the meantime he had 
formally received, from the officials of the Presby- 
terian church, to use their building for an “Open 
Forum Meeting.” 

This proposition excited a good deal of interest 
and discussion, and although the proposal was treat- 
ed to a considerable amount of chaffing and banter, 
on the whole it was very favorably received by 
all, except two men who had been known to show a 
similar belligerent spirit in several previous confer- 
ences. These two men, Jake Worgle and Anson 
Gorky, had come into the works within the past six 
or eight months, and had not only managed to work 
themselves up into positions of leadership in their 
union, but had succeeded in getting quite a number 
of men of their own stamp employed in their depart- 
ment. Their union was a small one, counting only 


HIS RETURN 108 


about thirty or forty members, but as the work which 
they did was something that nearly every other de- 
partment was dependent on, a successful strike by 
them would have practically tied up the whole fac- 
tory. While they had never yet made any open 
threats in that direction, yet everyone knew that 
they were conscious of their power. 

The big leader of the Lathe Workers’ Union came 
out squarely for accepting the church’s invitation. 

“T believe in meeting anyone half-way. I haven’t 
had much use for the churches in the past, but if, 
for once, they propose to open up and do a decent 
thing I say let’s encourage them. Maybe we can 
convert some of them.” 

“Here, too,” said another. ‘I don’t know whether 
they really mean it or are just bluffing to see what 
we will do. But we are not bluffing, and we will 
show them that we can put up a case that they will 
have to hear.” 

“I’m for it, too,” said another. “If it had been 
any other church I wouldn’t have looked at it, but 
Wharton is a real man. When I had the typhoid 
last winter he came around to see me almost every 
day, and not just to pray and read the Bible through 
his nose, but like a real friend he told me the news 
and jollied me up and made me feel better every 
time he came. He did talk to me sometimes like 
my mother used to talk, but that was all right, too.” 

“But hold on a bit,” said Sandy McRae of the 


104 HIS RETURN 


Wood-workers’ Union. “How about this great 
news we have been reading in the papers the past 
few days. They claim that Jesus Christ Himself 
has come back. Some say the churches are all go- 
ing to be put out of commission because they have 
been a failure, and He is going to start something 
new.” 

“Yes, and they say He was a laboring man when 
He was here. He would belong to your union, 
Sandy, as He was a carpenter.” 

“I’m thinking, if He does take control of things, 
as they say He is going to,” said another, “He'll 
see that the laboring men get their rights, at least 
occasionally. Why can’t we wait and have our 
conference with Him instead of with one of the 
churches here?” 

“TI guess you are right,” said Sandy. “He was 
for the poor man. According to Him the rich man 
would have a hard time getting into heaven, but 
He said, ‘Come unto me all ye that labor,’ and He 
told the rich young ruler to go and sell all that he 
had and distribute it to the poor.” 

“Now you are beginning to talk sense,” said 
Gorky. “That’s the program I have always been 
after. Divide up the wealth. If this Jesus that 
has come is going to stand for that, I say let’s get 
into line with Him and let the churches go hang.” 

“Yes, that’s the ticket,” said Jake. ‘Give it back 
to the poor laboring man because it belongs to him. 


HIS RETURN 105 


We made all these riches that the plutocrats are 
using as a scourge to lash us into obedience.” 

“But, Jake,” said Waters, “doesn’t Mr. Williams 
treat you all pretty decent? He spends lots of his 
own money fixing up the social rooms and athletic 
quarters at the works, and the lunch rooms are good 
enough for him to get his own dinners there along 
with the men.” 

“To hell with his social rooms. We want justice, 
not charity. What if he has fixed up a little joint 
where the girls can powder their noses! But he 
builds a big mansion up on the hill for his own 
girls. It was our money built it, and itis ours. Let 
him move out and let the girls have that. All his 
wealth belongs to the poor laboring man. Let him 
give it back to them.” 

“Oh, I don’t know that the laboring men are so 
poor and oppressed, when the management had 
to buy that field back of the works to park the auto- 
mobiles that the men ride to work in.” 

“Well, now is our chance anyway. If you other 
men have got the guts to stand with us we will put 
it up to the company that we are going to stand for 
the principles of this new man that has come to set 
the world right. Divide up the wealth and let all 
have a share, like He said. Now is the time to do it, 
and we can win out if you will all back us up. You 
don’t want us to do it all alone, do you? We can 
if we have to.” 


106 HIS RETURN 


It seemed impractical under the circumstances 
as they had developed, to do anything more now 
about the church invitation, so the matter was 
dropped and other matters taken up. 


Vill 

The monthly meeting of the official board of the 
church came on this Tuesday night. Among other 
items of business the pastor presented a letter he 
had just received from the Foreign Mission Board, 
with regard to the offering for that cause. It 
brought the cheering news that the church which had 
so nobly risen to the task of wiping out the great 
debt was now showing equal zeal in providing for 
an increased budget for the coming year. 

It was with a spirit of great joy that they were 
now able to face the many new and promising op- 
portunities for work that were opening. Nearly 
all the fields were showing a greatly brightened 
outlook. Indeed the present peril in many places 
seemed to be too much prosperity, as was suggested 
in the letter from the North India Mission, an ex- 
tract from which was appended: 


“The great ingathering among the ‘Sweeper’ or sub- 
merged class, still continues. In many places there seem to 
be indications of mass movements that would bring whole 
villages or whole districts at once into the church. Our 
difficulty often is to hold back the applicants for baptism 
till we feel they have some real understanding of what being 
a Christian means, until they have had time to be instructed 


HIS RETURN 107 


in what the conditions of the new life are and shown some 
proof of really accepting them. 

“There are in India today great societies, like the Bramo 
Somaj and Aria Somaj, which have grafted some elements 
of Christianity upon a heathen system, and smaller bodies 
that are using the name of Christ to cover beliefs and prac- 
tices that are far from Christian. These are now great 
obstacles to the true Christian cause. And it suggests a 
real peril. If any great number of converts should get into 
the church without real heart change, and without intel- 
ligent conception of the will and claims of Christ, it might 
result in swinging the whole Indian church off the true 
foundation, into merely a form of heathenism gilded with 
Christian names. That is the thing we fear and which we 
are taking every precaution to prevent. We hope the 
church at home will be patient, and will trust to the wisdom 
of our determination to make real Christians and not merely 
figures in the statistical columns.” 


After the meeting they sat awhile talking of the 
events that had occurred, and Norton mentioned 
the case of old Solomon, who had taken all his life’s 
savings and gone off to Jerusalem. 

“I felt rather sorry for the old man, going off 
that way on a wild goose chase. He is an honest, 
imoffensive old man, even if he is a good deal of a 
sheeny.”’ 

“Maybe he may turn out to be wiser than we 
think,” said the judge. 

“Do you mean that there is any possibility of his 
getting what he hopes for?’ 

“There will be an enormous number of offices and 


108 HIS RETURN 


positions that someone will have to be appointed to.” 

“I suppose we have hardly thought of that. We 
have only thought of Jesus Himself as ruling.” 

“He will be supreme sovereign and director. But 
the actual work, the actual business of government 
and local administration all over the world, that is 
something that must be carried on by a vast number 
of officials, high and low, appointed by some means.” 

“Ah, I see! And the Messiah must arrange for 
the appointments for all this work.” 

“The Jews are His own fellow-countrymen. They 
have been the heirs of many promises and of special 
grace in the past. It is the usual opinion and expec- 
tation that at the Advent they will all be converted 
and again restored to favor and special prestige.” 

“And there is hardly a nation anywhere but has 
large numbers of resident Jews. If the Jews are 
to have a prominent part now in the ruling of the 
world, there is a good supply of them everywhere on 
the spot.” 

No one had anything to say for a few minutes. 
The subject raised so many momentous issues. The 
thought of the Jews of Bible history, after long 
centuries of patient adversity, again restored to 
favor and power, had a romantic appeal as an ab- 
stract idea. But when it came to concrete cases, 
these Jews, their neighbors that they knew and had 
often had difficult dealings with—to think of these 
men being the ones that would be appointed to au- 


HIS RETURN 109 


thority and power, possibly to have control right 
here in their own city, it was not quite so romantic 
or attractive. 
IX 

The Wednesday morning papers brought more 
news from the Orient. The space was cut down to 
two or three columns now, but they displayed big 
headlines and brought reports from all parts of the 
world. 


EXCITEMENT STILL AT FEVER HEAT 
—O--- 
Crowds Flocking to the Holy City 
—— 
Miraculous Healing Power Shown 
—o0— 


Mr. Norman Kendricks, special correspondent 
of the Associated Press, sends the following account 
of the latest events at the scene of the Messiah’s 
advent: 


Jerusalem, June 15.—The excitement in the Holy City 
still continues. During the night the immense structure 
which miraculously appeared on the Temple Hill shone 
with the same kind of mysterious light which has hovered 
over the celestial party from the first. The building towered 
above all the surrounding shops and dwellings like a great 
mountain of glowing amber. The great dome over the 
audience room gleamed like a brilliant beacon, casting a 


110 HIS RETURN 


radiance over all the eastern parts of the city. People are 
flocking in from all parts of the surrounding country. 

Last night a party of notables from Buenos Ayres, Ar- 
gentina, were in the city. They are on a tour representing 
their government in a semi-official capacity. ‘They were 
greatly astonished at the spectacle and the reports that 
they heard. ‘They sought an audience with the Messiah, 
and after being received by Him and hearing His plans, 
gave their pledge, with the most confident assurance, that 
their coutry would immediately come under the dominion 
of the Messiah king. 

This morning, about halfenadt seven, the Messiah ap- 
peared on one of the lower porticos, and after lifting up 
His hands in benediction on the great crowd of people who 
were assembled inside the western Haram gate, He made 
a speech to them, enjoining service and love to their brother- 
men, and suggesting that faithfulness, loyalty and unself- 
ishness would be necessary if they were to get the great 
blessing His coming was intended to afford. 

During this speech a small structure on which a number 
of men had climbed to get a better view, collapsed, throwing 
them all to the ground, and two persons were very seriously 
injured. On seeing this the speaker immediately went down, 
made His way through the crowd to the side of the wounded 
men. One of them had a gash in the head which was bleed- 
ing profusely, and a sharp piece of broken timber had 
pierced his breast. ‘The other had both his limbs very 
badly fractured. ‘The Messiah went to each in turn, spoke 
a few words of kindness and sympathy, then took his 
hand and lifted him up, and to the astonishment of all the 
crowd, the wounds were seen to be entirely healed, and both 
men were entirely well. 

As soon as the report of this spread in the city there 
was new excitement. A great many started to bring sick 


HIS RETURN 111 


people up to the place where the Messiah was, in order that 
they might be healed. But the police turned them back, 
and strict orders were given forbidding any such intrusion 
on the royal presence. The police thus far have been able 
to keep good order in the city, with the help of a company 
of British Tommies from the government Residency. 

Calcutta, India, June 15.—Reports from the interior 
indicate that some new movement seems to be starting among 
the native tribes. Runners are seen going from village to 
village, carrying the symbol that was used in the Ghandi 
Passive Resistance campaign. Wherever they come great 
excitement seems to spring up and the natives are seen 
everywhere in knots and groups, discussing the news. Con- 
siderable secrecy 1s maintained, and no one has yet been 
able to learn what the purport of the message is. The mili- 
tary authorities are on the alert. Troops are held in readi- 
ness for immediate action and all preparations are made 
for prompt and decisive measures as soon as any signs of 
revolt appear. 

Canton, China, June 15.—The army of Sun Yat Sen 
this morning displayed the banner of the Messiah at the 
head of their troops at parade. The vernacular papers 
have been full of accounts of the miraculous occurrences 
at Jerusalem, and the popular mind is considerably worked 
up with wonder. Now it was known that Sun Yat Sen had 
once been a Christian or received baptism, so this new move 
was interpreted to mean that the Messiah and His miraculous 
power had pledged support to their arms, and the greatest 
enthusiam spread in the city. The cry was heard on every 
hand: ‘On now to certain victory.” 

San Francisco, June 15.—ULast night a procession of 
I. W. W. members paraded the streets carrying banners 
and transparencies, with the picture of the Messiah and in- 
scriptions: “Sell your possessions and distribute to the 


112 HIS RETURN 


poor’; “Down with the Capitalists”; “Divide up the 
wealth.” A great mob followed them and there was much 
disorder. Several bombs were thrown, by which a church 
was wrecked and a woman and little child badly injured. 
Prompt action by the police succeeded in quelling the dis- 
order and all is quiet again. Several arrests were made. 


x 


Wednesday morning Dr. Wharton received a 
letter from old Dr. Goodyear: 


“This is just a note to thank you for your kind hospi- 
tality while I was in Brockton, and for the great privilege 
of addressing your splendid congregation on Sunday morn- 
ing. 

“Do you recall my closing words in that sermon? Little 
did I think that the wish I expressed there to see my Mas- 
ter face to face, would be so soon fulfilled, and that He had 
even then already come. But I will try to make atonement 
for my lack of faith, and start at once to go to meet Him. 
I have a few hundred dollars that I have been saving up for 
my old age, and I think it will be sufficient to take me there, 
and I will spend my few remaining years in service before 
Him. I am starting on this evening’s train. I wish you 
were going, too, but I know you will go as soon as your 
duties permit. 

“Your old friend, 
“SAMUEL GOODYEAR.” 


A little before noon, the same day, Dr. Wharton 
had a call from a man named Lemuel Hickson. He 
was one of those men who are always on hand to 


HIS RETURN 118 


push themselves into prominence when any new or 
irregular movement is being: started. 

He said it was the opinion of many that some- 
thing should be done in connection with the great 
event which the papers were reporting. Brockton 
ought to hold a great mass meeting and pass some 
resolutions, and place itself on record. Perhaps 
also some kind of organization should be formed to 
take any steps that might be necessary in connection 
with this great event, or to receive any communi- 
cation that the Messiah might wish to send them. 

If a number of prominent people would indorse 
the project such a meeting could be called for to- 
morrow, Thursday afternoon. He had permission 
to use the names of the pastors of the Methodist 
and Baptist Churches, of the principal of the schools, 
and Col. G. M. Henderson. If Dr. Wharton would 
permit them to use his name it would be quite suf- 
ficient to make the call. They had the promise of 
the Gayety Theatre for the meeting. 

As the matter seemed to be plausible and not in- 
appropriate, Dr. Wharton said they might use his 
name if they wished. A notice was therefore put in 
both the daily papers, calling for such a mass meet- 
ing, Thursday afternoon, at four o’clock, in the 
Gayety Theatre. 

The evening papers, as usual, gave a double 
column to the great event at Jerusalem, and hap- 
penings in other places resulting from it: 


114 HIS RETURN 


“Great numbers of people are coming to the city from 
all parts to see the wonders, and all the hotels of this great- 
est of tourist centers are taxed to their capacity to accom- 
modate them. Some clashes have been reported between 
various religious sects having churches or colonies in the 
city, but these have been easily quieted. 

‘The British Governor, or Resident, has kept his govern- 
ment fully informed of all things that have taken place, 
and has received instructions from London to maintain a 
neutral and strictly impartial attitude at all times, and con- 
cern himself chiefly with seeing that no disorders occur and 
that equal opportunity be afforded all parties and classes 
to have access to the Messiah when suitable occasions offer.” 


XI 


It was natural that the wonderful news from 
Jerusalem should greatly affect all the Christian 
people of Brockton, and differently according to 
their dispositions and temperaments. ‘The Tent 
Preacher and his flock it threw into the wildest ex- 
citement. Many of them made white robes in which 
they dressed themselves and ran about the streets. 
All work was stopped, and all the ordinary rules of 
propriety scorned. They flocked to the tent, and 
about to each others’ houses, shouting, laughing, 
crying and embracing each other in hysterical en- 
thusiasm. 

Some of the people in the churches were almost 
equally elated, but they restrained themselves within 
reasonable bounds. Nearly all the congregations 


HIS RETURN 115 


made the mid-week service in some way a recognition 
of the great event. 

At the Episcopal Church a special meeting was 
held, using the regularly appointed service for Ad- 
vent Sunday. The rector read passages from the 
Prophets and the choir sang selections from Han- 
del’s “Messiah.” , 

At the Methodist church a much more popular 
meeting was held. The whole front of the building 
was gay with banners, streamers and flags. The 
church was crowded, and all the old revival and 
camp-meeting hymns were sung with enthusiasm. 
Short talks were made by the pastor and a visiting 
bishop, Dr. Manning. The meeting at the Baptist 
church was less enthusiastic and demonstrative, but 
with perhaps even deeper feeling and emotion 
among the people. 

The usual prayer meeting was held at the Im- 
manuel church, and there was certainly a record 
attendance. The one thought was in all minds, but 
the same condition was noted as at the Christian 
Endeavor meeting, Sunday night. No one re- 
sponded when the invitation was given to offer 
remarks or lead in prayer. Much time was occupied 
in singing, and the pastor took this occasion to give 
a talk he had long contemplated making, on Mir- 
acles and Inspiration. 

After the meeting a small group, consisting of 


Mr. Enbright, Judge Porter, Mr. and Mrs. S. M. 


116 HIS RETURN 


Thompson, Norton, and one or two others, lingered 
behind and were invited by the pastor into his study, 
just off the lecture room, for a quiet talk. 

“We all seem rather sober and quiet tonight,” 
said Dr. Wharton. 

“Great events always tend to make one thought- 
ful,” said Mr. Enbright. 

“Especially when they have an element of won- 
der and mystery.” 

“Shouldn’t this be an event to make us extremely 
glad and joyful?” said Mrs. Thompson. “It seems 
to me we all should feel like joining the Methodist 
Church and shouting “Hallelujah! ”’ 

“T think we are all glad,” said Dr. Wharton. “The 
hope of the ages has come to pass, which the church 
has been looking forward to all these centuries. But 
as someone has said, ‘A great victory brings almost 
as many problems as a great defeat!’ ” 

“The Lord is here,” said Norton. ‘“‘What is to 
happen next, now that He is here?” 

“Yes, when we were looking forward to it we said 
His coming was to rule the world, all very plain and 
simple. But now that He is here, it suddenly occurs 
to us that the world is an exceedingly big place, with 
exceedingly many people and many complex and 
complicated interests.” 

“That is it. Usually when we have thought of 
one person ruling the whole world, it meant some- 
thing like Cesar or Alexander conquering the kings 


HIS RETURN 117 


of all the other nations, merely to make them pay 
tribute to him and increase his own power. But in 
this case it must mean reaching all the rank and file 
of the people themselves to really govern them for 
their good, to give them justice and better govern- 
ment; quite a different problem. Ruling the world 
now is not as simple and easy a thing as it once 
seemed.” 

“What do you think of it all, Judge?’ said Mr. 
Enbright. “You are the one most able to give us 
an opinion on that subject.” 

“I feel very reluctant to speak, for fear I seem 
critical or skeptical.” 

“But you see, doubtless, clearer than the rest of 
us what governing the world means.” 

“Well, first it means making laws. Now, just 
in this little town of Brockton here, over seven thou- 
sand laws or ordinances have been enacted and put 
on the statute books in a comparatively short time. 
In the larger cities the number is perhaps fifty or a 
hundred thousand. ‘That would imply, for all the 
cities, states and countries, some millions altogether 
in all the world. Of course, many of these are local 
and temporary, but they were necessary some time 
and have all been the response to needs that had to 
be provided for by laws. 

“The one world ruler could not provide all these. 
He might legislate for the great national and inter- 
national questions of the sixty or seventy chief na- 


118 HIS RETURN 


tions of the world, though even that would keep one 
person’s time pretty fully occupied, and he might lay 
down some great general principles, like the Ten 
Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount, per- 
haps. But for these thousands of little things which 
really are the matters that affect us common people 
in our lives, the actual framing of the specific statutes 
to regulate these things would have to be done by 
other persons, fallible, ordinary men. 

“Much less could He act as universal judge, or 
even appoint the judges that would be needed. For 
the whole world some hundreds of thousands of 
judges would be required. Who would appoint 
them? Then again, for the general service and ad- 
ministration a far vaster number of appointments 
would be required. ‘There are more than a thou- 
sand million people to be served and governed, over 
a billion and a half. It would require some millions 
of officials of all kinds. The machinery to appoint 
all these officials, as well as the officials themselves, 
must consist of fallible men with prejudices and lim- 
itations, even if they were all strictly honest and 
faithful.” 

“Yes, yes,” said Enbright. “It is plain that an 
enormous army of fallible human superintendents 
and administrators will still be necessary, and the 
circumstances and conditions will be such that these 
appointments will give special opportunity for graft 
and corruption almost unlimited. But would not 


HIS RETURN 119 


the All-Holy one supervise it all and keep it all 
pure?” 

“How?” 

“By inspectors and reports and checks of various 
kinds.” 

“But who will guarantee the inspectors? And 
just to read and act on their reports would occupy 
all His time a thousand times over. It would merely 
mean that another army of men, still fallible, must 
be appointed for that. And even if all their de- 
cisions were right, what would insure their being 
obeyed and carried .out by all the vast horde of ob- 
scure officials in all the lands, far and near? 

“As a Spirit, all these centuries, Jesus has been 
present everywhere, working directly on the minds 
and wills of men. But His coming now in this ma- 
terial, human form would seem to mean that He is 
going to do what He does now in the human way, 
as a normal ruler in human society.” 

“But will not the mere presence of Jesus on earth, 
and His personal influence over men keep them from 
selfishness and error?” 

“Did it do so with those nearest to Him when He 
was here before, his twelve disciples? On the con- 
trary, as long as He was visibly present with them 
they were weak and selfish, striving which should be 
greatest and looking only for the glory of a tem- 
poral monarchy, one of them going completely bad. 
Not till His bodily presence was taken away and He 


120 HIS RETURN 


was with them in the more vital and intimate pres- 
ence of His Spirit did they get the right ideas and 
the right aspirations.” 

“This is rather an anxious picture you are paint- 
ing for us, Judge, if all the benefits we are to receive 
from the returned Messiah are still dependent on the 
fickle faithfulness of men.” 

“Do not give too much weight to my fears. I 
have been mistaken before, and sincerely hope that 
I may be now. And yet you know that He condi- 
tioned His success on honest codperation from His 
subordinates, and the papers report that He said to 
the people this morning that only by loyalty and 
unselfishness could they get the blessings His com- 
ing was to afford.” 

“But, Judge,” said Mrs. Thompson, “Jesus is 
here now, and here to rule the world. He must have 
some way to overcome all these difficulties. Surely, 
Judge, you do not think it possible that Jesus can 
fail.” : 

“Did he not fail when he was here before—fail 
from the standpoint of what was expected, fail tc 
bring the blessing to His nation which they believed 
their Messiah would bring, and which He would 
have brought them if they had been fit for it? He 
was able and ready, but they were not.” 

“Yes,” said Wharton, “they were not fit for His 
kingdom of heaven, and perhaps we are not fit for 
His kingdom of this earth.” 


HIS RETURN 121 


“Oh, Judge, He must succeed. The millennium 
is here. It must be so. We have waited for it so 
long. At any rate, the heathen world is all going 
to be converted. We have assurance of that already 
in the conversion of all the Mohammedans.” 


XII 


The Thursday morning papers brought the usual 
number of reports from all parts of the world. One 
dispatch from Italy told of the sudden rise and 
spread of a new order, somewhat like the Fascisti 
with which Mussolini raised himself into power, but 
fostered by the clerical party and other factions op- 
posed to the Mussolini regime. 

The reports from Jerusalem indicated a more 
quiet day there. The crowds were increasing im- 
mensely in the city, but the Messiah seemed to be 
occupying Himself chiefly in conferences with the 
various diplomats, the local officials and other per- 
sons of influence who had been informally invited 
for the purpose. 

It was too early yet for any announcement as to 
the plans or the personnel of the new administra- 
tion, but it was presumed that plans were under 
way, and already there was an immense amount of 
scheming and wire pulling among the leading men 
and persons of prominence who might hope for some 
place under the new regime. 

One little dispatch from Jerusalem had some 
interest: 


122 HIS RETURN 


Jerusalem, June 16.—The miraculous healing of the men 
injured in the accident yesterday caused great excitement 
in the city. Hundreds of sick people immediately started 
up there to seek healing, but the police turned them back 
to protect the Messiah from intrusion. ‘There were a 
large number of lepers begging about the churches and 
shrines who got news of the healing. Their plight was so 
hopeless that they were ready to take any risks. A band 
of twenty or thirty. got together and made a determined 
rush to get past the guard. But it was of no use. Clubs 
were used on them freely, swords were drawn and they were 
finally driven back, battered and bleeding. 

But one of them managed to conceal himself in the crowd, 
and later in the day, when the Messiah was out on one of 
the balconies, he suddenly rushed out, making a great cry 
to attract His attention, and begging to be healed. A 
guard ran out to seize him, but by this time the Messiah 
had seen him and held up His hand to the guard to stop. 
He sent one of the disciples to bring the man, and after 
talking to him kindly a few minutes, He laid His hands on 
him and his leprosy was entirely cured. 

It afterward developed that this man who was healed 
had once been a person of righ rank, governor of one of 
the districts up near the Lebanon. The Messiah bade him 
go back home, but told him to return later, and He would 
have a position for him somewhere in His body of officials. 

When this man told the Messiah how they had been 
driven back and beaten, He showed great compassion, and 
sent an order to the chief of police not to use violence on 
any that were trying to come to Him. On the contrary, 
as far as His governmental duties would allow, He was 
always glad to have anyone, rich or poor, sick, blind, leper, 
or even the most abandoned wretch come freely to Him. 

This report got abroad and it opened the flood-gates. 


HIS RETURN 123 


About thirty of the lepers banded together and forced their 
way right into the audience hall where Jesus was holding 
an important conference with representatives of the lead- 
ing nations. They rushed in with loud cries, asking to be 
healed. The Messiah showed no annoyance or resentment, 
but arose from His throne and came down, and one by one, 
laid His hands on all of them, saying some kind, encour- 
aging words to each, and healed them all. A great crowd 
of other sick people soon gathered outside, but they have 
thus far been restrained by the police from entering the 
audience room. 

When one remembers what a vast number of sick people 
there are in such an oriental city, and the modern facility 
of bringing them even from great distances, it raises some 
questions. It has been computed that there are nearly 
twenty thousand lepers in Palestine and nearby countries, 
everyone of whom will try to come to be healed. The num- 
ber of blind men is greater still, beside all the other sick. 

This is only the fourth day since the miraculous arrival 
of the Messiah, and the city is already crowded to its ca- 
pacity with visitors from all the surrounding country, while 
the crowds from more distant places are just beginning to 
arrive. 





PART IV 


Dost Thou at this time restore the 
kingdom to Israel? 
Acts 1:6. 


PART IV 
I 


Every day, at intermissions and after school, Elsie 
and her friends got together to discuss the great 
news and talk about their plans and aspirations. 

“Just think! He has been here more than four 
days, and what have we done to show our welcome 
and appreciation?” 

“Tt will only be a week now till school is ‘out, and 
then we will be free to do something.” 

But Ruth, the practical one, did not think it was 
necessary to wait a week. He was here, and though 
she could not go to Him at once, yet she could write 
Him a letter now. As soon as supper was over she 
went to her room, and after reading a chapter in her 
Bible, began a long, frank letter, modestly but 
earnestly telling her great joy, and all that she and 
her friends were doing and planning since He came. 
It thrilled her to think that Jesus from heaven, the 
Jesus of the Bible, would get this letter she was writ- 
ing and read it. By and by she would get an answer 
from Him, written perhaps with His own hands 
and saying things just to her, the same Jesus who 
had cured the sick, blessed little children and done 
so many wonderful things long ago! Through ten 

126 


HIS RETURN 127 


closely written pages she poured out her heart and 
told her hopes and plans. 

She folded the letter up and put it into an en- 
velope. It gave her a queer feeling to write the 
address: 

JESUS CHRIST, 
Jerusalem, 
Palestine. 


But it was all right. She must get used to the real- 
ism, for He was there now, and this was the way to 
reach Him, just as she would reach her father or 
mother at a distance, or any other friend. 

Next morning she told her father what she had 
done, and gave the letter to him, asking him to post 
it in the general office, and if possible make it “spe- 
cial delivery,” or have it registered to make it more 
sure. He took it to the registry window and asked 
if there was any way to secure special delivery. 

“We have no such arrangement for foreign mail 
to that country,” said the lady at the window, “but 
you can register it if you wish.” 

“Will that insure a more prompt and safe de- 
livery?’ 

“Ordinarily it would, but I can hardly assure you 
of anything in this case.” 

“Why not? Is not the mail running, and Jeru- 
salem a regular postal station?” 

“Yes, the postal facilities are regular enough, 


128 HIS RETURN 


but there will be such a congestion. We have already 
received nearly two hundred letters to that address 
at this office alone. What must be the number from 
the whole country and all other countries? And 
most of these letters are marked ‘special,’ or ask 
special treatment.” 

This was quite anew phase. He was at a loss for 
a moment, but finally said: 

“Well, register it anyway.” 

As he walked away he said to himself: “I must 
not tell my daughter this. She is so earnest in it all.” 


II 


The popular meeting at the Gayety Theatre was 
ealled for four o’clock, and before that time the 
building was packed. All the pastors of the city 
churches were on the platform, with many of the 
prominent citizens. The mayor called the meeting 
to order promptly on time, and on motion, Colonel 
Henderson was asked to preside. 

He thanked the audience for what he considered 
a great honor, both because of the splendid audi- 
ence and because of the wonderful cause for which 
they were assembled. It was not too much to believe 
that this would later be remembered as the turning 
point of the greatest epoch of history. 

“This is a citizens’ meeting, met in a secular ca- 
pacity, but the matter that calls us together is such 
a solemn event and one so closely connected with 


HIS RETURN 129 


religion that I am sure you will all think it appro- 
priate that the meeting should be opened with prayer. 
The venerable Bishop Manning of the Methodist 
Church is present and I will ask him to offer prayer.” 

The bishop arose to walk forward, but before he 
could begin a man jumped up in the middle of the 
audience and said: 

“Mr. Chairman, I am sorry to interrupt the good 
brother, but it seems to me he 1s a little out of date. 
I suppose prayer was all right for the churches in 
the old times, but Jesus isn’t up in heaven now. He 
is over in Jerusalem. The proper thing to do is to 
send Him a telegram.” 

There was applause from the gallery at this, as 
Clanston had taken pains to have it packed for just 
such emergencies. So a motion was made and car- 
ried that a cablegram be sent, conveying the greet- 
ings and welcome of the Brockton citizens to the 
newly returned Lord. 

The meeting then proceeded to general business, 
and a man named Barnard arose to make a motion. 
He was one of the Clanston faction and had been 
district attorney when they were in. He referred 
to the great importance of the new era upon which 
they were now entering, and said: 

“I mean no disrespect to the churches. They did 
the best they could when they were on the job. They 
had their hands full trying to get us sinners con- 
verted. We are alli Christians now. Can’t help but 


130 HIS RETURN 


be with Jesus right over there, with power enough 
to blow us to atoms if we don’t come into line. But 
now the matter has become a business men’s matter, 
and we must go about it in a business-like way. 

“Jesus is over there in Jerusalem, and He don’t 
care now for preaching and psalm singing. What 
He wants now is to clean up this old world and make 
it a fit place for men to live in, and that is a business 
man’s job. Itisa big job, and wants men that know 
how to go at it and get results, men that know the 
ins and outs of politics, know what is going on, and 
can put things over. Jesus will look after His part, 
all right. He is going to govern the world, but He 
must have agents, and efficient agents, in every 
locality, to see that His plans and regulations are 
carried out. It is up to us to be ready to furnish 
them and to have some organization ready for Him 
to call on when the time comes.” 

He therefore moved that a committee of three be 
appointed to represent the town in respect to any 
communications or orders that might come from the 
Messiah and to codperate in the selection of such 
local agents and officials as the new regime might 
eall for. 

This also was greeted with prolonged applause 
from the Clanston gallery. It was put to the house 
and unanimously carried. Naturally, Barnard, as 
the mover of the motion, was made chairman of the 
committee. The president of the Citizens Bank 


HIS RETURN 131 


was suggested for a second, and then someone sug- 
gested another Clanston man, which completed the 
committee. 

After this a number of minor resolutions were 
made and discussed, which gave opportunity for 
those who had come charged with oratory to display 
themselves, and then the meeting adjourned. 


Ill 


Meanwhile, all the consuls and other diplomatic 
agents in Jerusalem had transmitted to their respec- 
tive governments the message of the Messiah, with 
His claims and demands. ‘They also sent full and 
accurate official accounts of all His miraculous acts 
and the supernatural occurrences that had accom- 
panied His descent. ‘There could be no reasonable 
doubt of the validity of His claim or of the over- 
whelming adequacy of His power if He should have 
occasion to use it. This was recognized at once 
everywhere by all the nations. The matter was one 
which could not allow much delay, and in fact events 
moved very rapidly. 

It will be convenient to anticipate somewhat, and 
report here rather rapidly and briefly the events 
of the next few weeks, and the way in which the 
demands of the Messiah were met in the principal 
nations of the world. 

Italy was one of the first great countries to make 
the change. We have heard of the new order which 


182 HIS RETURN 


was started there, somewhat analogous to the Fas- 
cisti by which Mussolini rose to power. This grew 
and spread rapidly. It was in its genesis really a 
reaction against the Fascisti and the dictatorship, 
but it put out as its goal the welcome and enthrone- 
ment of the Messiah. Naturally the clerical party 
gave it warm support. There is always in any coun- 
try a large number of people who for various and 
sundry reasons are opposed to the party in power, 
and they naturally gave their support to the new 
movement. ‘Then again, the Italian people are con- 
stitutionally a religious people, and the idea of the 
Jesus they worshiped becoming their national sov- 
ereign appealed strongly to their religious feelings. 
And above all, the miraculous occurrences in connec- 
tion with the Messiah’s advent, and His direct de- 
mand for their allegiance, seemed to leave no other 
course but to take steps to enthrone Him. 

In a few days the movement had spread all over 
the country and became strong enough to dictate its 
own terms. The coup of Mussolini only a short while 
before made it easier to effect another great change. 
A compact was drawn up and fully ratified by all 
authorities concerned, making Jesus Christ the im- 
perial head and sovereign of the kingdom of Italy. 

The problem in Germany was perhaps the easiest 
of all. There was no strong government there to 
displace. The present order of things under the 
Treaty of Versailles was resented by all classes as 


HIS RETURN 138 


humiliating, and anything that would displace it and 
enable them to escape its terms, no matter how op- 
pressive the substitute might be, would be welcomed 
as restoring again their honor. The practical- 
minded, scientific circles were overwhelmed by the 
undeniable miracle that had been performed, and 
the simple-minded peasantry had a deeply religious 
nature that strongly responded to the name of Jesus. 
It was early decided by the Berlin government that 
the wise thing to do was to take their chances under 
the sovereignty of the new Messiah. 

A compact was drawn up with all legal formali- 
ties and ratifications, and forwarded to the Messiah 
in Jerusalem, transferring to Him full authority 
over all the states in the German empire, and accept- 
ing Him as their supreme sovereign. Presumably, 
under the new order the Versailles treaty would be 
no longer in force and the debt and the reparations 
would not have to be paid, so all effort for that was 
stopped. It was also noted that the Krupp works 
and other factories quietly got their facilities in order 
to resume the manufacture of cannon and other arms 
and munitions. 

Of course, when Germany had taken this step 
there was not much option left for France. She 
might march her army into the country and insist 
that the treaty obligations must be met, but the suc- 
cess of that would be more than doubtful. To sit 
still and let things go as they were was intolerable, 


134 HIS RETURN 


and any scheme of active opposition to the Messiah’s 
authority was hardly to be thought of. 

The only feasible plan seemed to be for her to 
accept the Messiah’s rule and protection, and to do it 
with special speed and all the characteristic warmth 
and emotion of the French nature, in order to make 
a good impression and save her face. Sudden coups 
and changes of government have been common 
enough in France in the past, so there was no diffi- 
culty in the procedure, and even before the Ger- 
mans had completed the ponderous formalities of 
their transfer, the flags of the Messiah were floating 
everywhere in Paris, and the boulevards and wine 
shops were thronged with noisy crowds singing the. 
praises of the new sovereign and pledging the new 
regime. 

The Japanese are extremely thorough and effec- 
tive in all their political procedure. As soon as the 
first reports of the descent reached Tokyo a full 
corps of able and accredited agents were dispatched 
to Jerusalem, who made an exhaustive investigation 
of all the significant facts and occurrences. Through 
her diplomatic agents in all the great countries of 
the world she ascertained very accurately what their 
probable attitude would be toward the new order 
and the demands of the Messiah. She soon satisfied 
herself that the Messiah’s claims were sure to be | 
acceded to. The only question then was to secure 
the best terms she could for herself. 


HIS RETURN. 185 


Her representative in Jerusalem was therefore 
given full power, and instructed to inform the Mes- 
siah that the Emperor of Japan gladly welcomed 
His coming and acknowledged His superior rank 
and authority. He asked the privilege to turn over 
to His Sovereign Majesty’s rule all the power and 
authority of the Japanese empire, and to acknowl- 
edge loyalty to His person, with the provision that, 
for the honor of his country and its unbroken im- 
perial line, his own rank as mikado should still be 
retained, and that the officials for the administration 
of government in the country should be appointed 
from among the Japanese subjects. 

The Messiah received this message and offer gra- 
ciously, and in reply said that rank and titles were 
not matters of essential moment, and He would 
have no objection at all to the emperor retaining all 
his ancient titles and honors, and in addition hoped 
he would also always retain the devotion and loyalty 
of the Japanese people. As to the personnel of 
official appointments, He could not consent to bind 
Himself, but must be entirely free and sovereign. 
However, he said, He saw no reason why the great 
majority of the appointments should not be made 
from the natives of the country, and it seemed to 
Him highly advisable and expedient to make 
them so. 

This was really as much as could be reasonably 
expected, so it was accepted by the Japanese em- 


186 HIS RETURN 


peror and government, and all the official details 
of transfer effected in accordance therewith. 

The case of India was quite interesting. There 
is something mysterious about the way that news 
can be circulated and authority enforced through- 
out the great ignorant mass of that immense, wide 
country. That strange man, Ghandi, without offi- 
cial prestige or government machinery, even after 
he was in prison, was able to make his mandates 
known and bend the people to his will throughout 
the length and breadth of that vast domain, and his 
“passive resistance” campaign became one of the 
most dangerous attacks on the ruling government 
that it has ever had to deal with. 

The descent of Jesus and His claim of sovereignty 
was quickly recognized by Ghandi as a powerful 
weapon for another attack. If Jesus could be en- 
throned as sovereign, the hated English yoke would 
fall off and they would be free. So he had a decree 
sent out, by that secret living telegraph that we saw 
indications of in the recent press dispatches, com- 
manding all the faithful to accept Jesus as king and 
Lord, and giving vivid accounts of His almighty 
acts and power. Of course, these accounts grew in 
wonder and details as they passed from mouth to 
mouth. 

Anyway, the appeal was completely successful. 
The mere name Ghandi would have been sufficient 
to have assured that. The whole country was roused, 


HIS RETURN 187 


from Tuticorin to Bangal and the Punjab. Jesus 
was adopted as the highest god and divine Saviour. 
Every community, according to its local customs 
and cult, began some kind of worship of Him. His 
image was made in some way and installed in a 
prominent place in all the temples. In many cases 
the best the poor people could do was to take the 
image of some other god, change its dress and form 
a little, christen it to the new name and set it up. 
Almost over night the great revolution was accom- 
plished, and the teeming millions of India were all 
ranged under the sovereignty of King Jesus. 

In China, the Civil War has now for a long while 
been practically a contest between the military lead- 
ers of the north and south. ‘The southern leader and 
first hero of the revolution, Sun Yat Sen, was known 
to be a Christian. And the northern general, Feng 
Yu Hsiang, also a Christian, had become famous 
all over the land for the discipline of his troops and 
the righteous and efficient administration he had 
established in every region that had come under his 
direction. 

Now, the Chinese are essentially a docile and dem- 
ocratic people, really managing all their provincial 
affairs locally, but always willing and always ex- 
pecting to be ruled by somebody. For centuries 
the Manchu emperors in Peking had been to most of 
the country little more than a name and a far-off 
ideal to be loyal to. It would be a small thing just 


138 HIS RETURN 


to substitute the name of Jesus, another far off, 
idealized person, in the place of the Manchu em- 
peror, and perhaps things would return to the old 
settled conditions as before the revolution. 

The common people everywhere had heard highly 
colored rumors of wonderful things showing the 
power of this Jesus. The intelligent classes were 
worn out by the long reign of disorder and were 
ready to welcome any change as hopeful. 

First the south, in the name of their leader, Sun 
Yat Sen, came out with a sudden proclamation de- 
claring this wonderful Jesus to be their sovereign, 
and on the strength of that launching a great cam- 
paign to bring the rest of the country under their 
sway. Then the north, alarmed at the enthusiasm 
which this evoked, hurried to make a similar move, 
proclaiming allegiance to the Messiah and claiming 
His prestige under the name of their famous Gen- 
eral Feng, and a new wave of enthusiasm roused 
their armies also to another great campaign to gain 
the supremacy. ‘Thus both north and south, the 
whole country, was now formally and legally under 
the sovereignty of the Messiah. 

What would England do? The question had 
already been raised in parliament. The Englishman 
is conservative and deliberate, but the evidence was 
really too strong for reasonable doubt. With all the 
other great nations under the new order, some action 
must be taken, and only one course was possible, 


HIS RETURN 189 


Parliament passed a carefully worded memoran- 
dum, stating that in the minds of Englishmen, gov- 
ernment was simply a means to secure liberty and 
justice for the people. They had always acknowl- 
edged the supreme place of God in their affairs by 
maintaining the “Established Church.” Now that 
He had come down to dwell among men and carry 
on His government in a visible form they greatly 
rejoiced in the wonderful privilege He was bestow- 
ing, and looked forward to an era of great prosperity 
and peace under His benign reign. This memoran- 
dum was forwarded to the Messiah at Jerusalem, 
with the request that He would communicate to 
them full instructions for the necessary steps to 
earry out His plans. 

All the smaller nations of Europe and South 
America and the other parts of the world duly sent 
in their allegiance in reasonable time. | 

In the United States the universal sentiment was 
that, of course, our country would accept the Mes- 
siah’s rule. But in order to have such an action legal 
and binding it would require a constitutional amend- 
ment. A long process in congress and the legisla- 
tures of all the states is necessary for that. Congress 
would be in session in December, and as the process 
would be long, anyway, it did not seem worth while 
to call a special session for this one thing. However, 
quite a number of the state legislatures which hap- 
pened to be in session passed resolutions directing 


140 HIS RETURN 


all the state officials to fully codperate with all the 
officers and administrative plans of the Messiah’s - 
government as soon as it should be established. 

In Russia the bolshevik authorities refused to take 
any action. 

IV 

On the religious side the transformation was 
equally swift and equally extensive. This has al- 
ready been seen in several cases, but we may note 
it here more at length. In the Christian nations the 
great mass of people formerly outside of the 
churches and without any profession of religious 
belief, could no longer hold that attitude. Skepti- 
cism and unbelief were no longer possible with Jesus 
and His divine power right here present and filling 
the front pages of all the newspapers. Moreover, 
all those selfish and practical considerations which 
had formerly led men to neglect the church, now 
operated just the opposite way. Connection with 
the ruling Christ was the only way to political pre- 
ferment, and offered promise of both social and busi- 
ness advantage. Practically everyone, therefore, 
now was a Christian believer. 

Among the other nations, in some cases the change 
that occurred was essentially more a religious than > 
a political one. For instance, with the Moslems it 
was primarily a religious matter, enthroning the 
present Jesus in the place of supreme worship and 
devotion long held by Mohammed. It involved 


HIS RETURN 14) 


_ political change chiefly because the religious and 
civil governments were so related that it would have 
been impossible for any civil ruler to have held his 
place except as the subordinate and professed sub- 
ject of King Jesus, but certainly the religious trans- 
fer was unquestioned. 

In India, while the purpose of Ghandi and the 
other leaders was political—to secure independence 
from England by enthroning the Messiah—yet 
practically, as we have seen, with the great ignorant 
mass of the people the matter was chiefly a religious 
one, setting up the Jesus of whose glory in Jeru- 
salem they had been told, as the highest object of 
their worship. What perhaps made this easier to 
accomplish was the fact that Hinduism is profess- 
edly and notoriously a composite faith, having, as 
it claims, absorbed and engrafted the attractive 
parts of all the religions that had come in contact 
with it. So there was little cause for opposition or 
hesitancy when the order came from their trusted 
leader, Ghandi, to enthrone the miraculous Jesus as 
the chief object of worship. 

In China the matter was not difficult. The supreme 
religious observance in China had long been the elab- 
orate worship of heaven, previously performed in 
- gorgeous state every year by the emperors for the 
whole nation. It was only necessary to realize, and 
this was evident enough, that this Jesus who had 
descended was “The Son of Heaven” come down 


142 HIS RETURN 


to earth. This was sufficient to make His worship 
the direct continuance of that worship of heaven, so 
all the old ritual and ceremonies were again revived 
and this immediately insured to it all the reverence 
and conservative zeal that centuries of majestic and 
hallowed observance had bestowed on the ancient 
worship of heaven. 

The case of Japan was the most interesting of 
all. It may not bé generally known, but it is quite 
familiar to students of the ethnic religions, that in 
the “Shinshu” sect, which is the most popular sect 
of Buddhism, there is quite an extensive tradition of 
the great “Amida,” or divine being, undertaking a 
vow of sufferings to expiate human sin, and of a 
person called ““Hozo Biku,” who was an incarnation 
of the supreme deity, and who came down to the 
earth and lived and died here for the salvation of 
men, a story in many points remarkably analogous 
to the story of our Savior Jesus. 

Now the facts reported from Jerusalem were 
thoroughly authenticated, and the claim and de- 
mands of this Jesus founded on them were not to be 
denied. The most feasible and safe plan, therefore, 
seemed to be for the abbots and ruling authorities 
of all the leading Buddhist sects to meet together in 
a great conference, at the Nishi Hongwanji temple 
in Kyoto, and there declare that this Jesus was really 
the same person they had known under the name 
“Hozo Biku,” an incarnation of the divine ““Ami- 


HIS RETURN 148 


da,” and so He was henceforth to be given the 
supreme place in their worship. There was a fac- 
tion that wished to have Him declared identical 
with Gautama Buddha, but this was not unani- 
mously favored. 

Vv 

When Jake and Gorky made their bluff of a strike 
at the Waters meeting, Tuesday night, it was purely 
a bluff. They had no intention of starting anything. 
But one may bluff himself as well as others. As they 
walked home together they began to think: 

“Why not? Now isas good atime as any. Even 
if we fail it will do no harm to us.” 

With men of that temperament it is the joy of 
battle more than anything gained that is the real 
motive. . 

There was excitement in the air everywhere. If 
the excitement is only there an adroit agitator has 
little difficulty to turn it in any direction he wishes. 
It was not long till they had all of their own union, 
and enough of the violent element in the other 
unions, ready to strike for any pretext that they 
might put forward. 

Jesus had once told the young ruler to “sell all 
his possessions and distribute to the poor.” That 
would be the basis of their agitation and demand. 
Let the management turn over the factory to the 
workmen for them to run it and get the profits. The 
present owners could stay on and share with the rest 


144 HIS RETURN 


if they chose, but only as workmen, on the same 
terms as the rest. 

So a big procession was staged. Most of the men 
in it had little idea what it was for, only there was 
a feeling of excitement everywhere, and everybody 
wanted to be doing something. After that, Gorky’s 
union met and made a blunt demand that the works 
be turned over to the men, claiming that this was 
according to the principles of the new Messiah’s — 
administration. 

The managers, naturally, were thunderstruck by 
such an extreme demand out of a clear sky, and with 
no cause. Yet they knew how risky it is to resist 
even unreasonable demands from a regular labor 
union. ‘To gain time they agreed that the matter 
should be referred directly to the Messiah. But 
Gorky and his men demanded that, pending the de- 
cision, the factory must be turned over to them. To 
this the management would not agree, so the strike 
was called. And on account of the peculiar charac- 
ter of the work of the men of this union, the strike 
tied up the whole factory. 

Both sides prepared their cases in lengthy docu- 
ments, and these were mailed to the United States 
consul in Jerusalem, with a request to bring them 
before the Messiah, asking for a judgment and de- 
cision. | 

Of course, in any case there was sure to be a big 
loss, both to the factory owners and to the men out 


HIS RETURN 145 


of work. Mr. Williams had no fear as to what the 
decision of the Messiah would be, but how long 
would it take to get that decision returned? That 
was another, and a very distressing, question. He 
was not reassured at all when, in conversation with 
Judge Underwood next day, the judge told him 
that nearly every case he had decided in the past 
week had been appealed and sent on to the Messiah 
for judgment, and that seven important cases had 
been taken off his docket by the contestants and sent 
direct to the Messiah, all this in just one court. All 
other judges from whom he had heard reported 
similar experiences. It required but little arithmetic 
to see that there must be tens of thousands of cases 
from America alone, already on the way to the 
Messiah for decision. 


Vi 


On Friday morning Mr. S. M. Thompson called 
at the bank and asked for a loan. He had decided 
to go to Jerusalem to see the descended Jesus. He 
said his wife had been determined to go from the 
_ first. He was quite as earnest, but had felt more 
the difficulties in the way. They had only his salary 
as accountant at the Edison works, their three chil- 
dren were in schoo! and they were still making pay- 
ments on their home. 

But they had talked the matter over every day, 
and the longer they talked the more deeply they felt 


146 HIS RETURN 


that they must go, and go at once. How could they 
ever dare to face the Lord Jesus and have Him 
know that they had let a long time pass after know- 
ing He was here without going to welcome Him. 
The home was now all paid for but about four hun- 
dred dollars, and they hoped they might get a loan 

with a mortgage on that. | 

The president of the bank felt great reluctance — 
to infringe on a man’s religious feelings, but could 
not refrain from suggesting to him the great risk. 
His children must be educated. It would not be 
easy for a man of his age to get a new position when 
they returned. It was along journey with a family. 
They were not used to traveling, and expenses might 
be specially high. But his only answer, with just a 
shade of resentment, was: “The Lord will provide 
for those who are faithful to him.” 

In any case, the bank was not allowed to make 
loans on real estate mortgages, so he could do noth- 
ing to help him, but he advised him that the Gold- 
stein State Bank was not under that restriction and 
he might be accommodated there. He had already 
paid on the house and lot about $6700.00, but the 
best that Mr. Goldstein would do was to let him 
have $2600.00, assuming the debt still due and tak- 
ing a first mortgage on all the property. This was 
rather a small amount for such a trip for five per- 
sons, but after carefully looking up steamer, rail 
and hotel rates, they decided that with economy they 


HIS RETURN 147 


might be able to make it do. They felt they just 
must go. The first disciples had “Forsaken all and 
followed Him.” 'They ought to be willing to take 
some risks. : 

The railroad agent, when he sold them the tickets, 
told them that he had already sold tickets to sixty- 
three people from this one town, starting on the 
same journey. He was only able to furnish trans- 
portation as far as London, and they must make 
arrangements there for the rest of the trip. They 
succeeded in getting packed and starting on the 
midnight train Monday night, and were intensely 
relieved when at last they were all safely aboard the 
ship without serious mishaps. 


VII 


In the great center at Jerusalem events had been 
moving steadily forward. Already some of the 
men had been chosen who were to head the principal 
departments, and the office rooms in the great Ad- 
ministration Building were beginning already to 
show signs of life. The Messiah had established 
connections with all the principal countries and be- 
gun the work of organizing. Administrators 
and officials were to be assigned for the conduct of 
affairs everywhere, and provision must be made not 
only for the great state and national offices, but even 
more important, for administering the affairs of the 
innumerable towns, districts and communities which 


148 HIS RETURN 


make up the nation. Naturally, the reasonable plan 
was to seek the codperation of the local community 
in selecting suitable men. Official notes of invita- 
tion were sent out to each separate town or district 
directing them to make nominations for the various 
officials they would need. 

In the city of Brockton this mvitation ni nate 
came into the hands of the committee so adroitly 
maneuvered by the Mack Clanston faction at the - 
popular meeting, as already described, and they were 
the ones who made out the list of nominations for 
the new administration. Unfortunately, this was 
but too typical of a large number of other towns and 
cities. However, it is but fair to say that for the 
higher state and national positions the roster of 
nominations drawn out by this invitation consisted 
for the most part of persons of estimable character, 
high ideals and real ability. | 

The reports from Jerusalem all spoke of the im- . 
mense throngs that were constantly pouring into the 
city from far and near. Hotel facilities had long 
been exhausted, and visitors were glad to get a rest- 
ing place in any kind of private house, at exorbitant 
rates. The poorer people were camped by the thou- 
sands everywhere, in the streets and open places, and 
on the hills around. 

The vast number of lepers pressing into the city 
to be healed were a pitiable sight, as well as a con- 
stant menace. 


HIS RETURN 149 


VIil 

Elsie and her friends still managed to get to- 
gether for a little talk every evening after school. 

“How the days are passing, and we have not yet 
done anything to show our joy and our welcome to 
the returned Jesus.” 

“If we don’t do something soon we will be 
ashamed to meet Him.” 

“We can’t do anything now, but school will be 
overon Friday, andthen . . .” 

She stopped without saying what they would do, 
but all knew that the same thought was in all minds. 

“Can we? Dare we do it?” said Elsie. __ 

“Why not? Girls travel alone everywhere. Every 
summer lots of the teachers make trips to Europe 
and other places.” 

“If we can get a number to go together it will be 
just like a family party.” 

“Do you know anybody else that is going?’ 

“The Thompsons have already started and several 
others I have heard of. And I know quite « a number 
that are talking of it.” 

“Let’s get right to work. We can get our plans 
all made and be ready to start just as soon as the 
vacation begins.” 

All of them had been planning and secretly re- 
solving to make the journey from the first, but this 
talk brought it out into the open and clinched the 
matter. They would go. The die was cast. 


150 HIS RETURN, 


“Oh, won’t it be wonderful to really see Him and 
talk to Him!” 

“Perhaps if we have quite a company we can get 
a little house right near where He is staying, and 
He will come to see us and give us a talk about some- 
thing every day.” 

“Those wonderful talks with His disciples in the 
latter part of the Gospel of John! Maybe we will be 
able to record some of His talks to us, and give them 
to the world as part of a new Bible.” 

“We must not expect anything so ambitious as 
that. Just to look in His face every day and to sit 
at His feet and hear His divine words will be glory 
enough.” 

“Let’s get to work right away, so that we will be 
ready to start at once.” 

The practical Winifred soon got together a col- 
lection of steamer schedules and other travel data. 
Special circulars had been sent out by several com- 
panies saying that the booking was very heavy and 
application should be made at once. However, a 
large number of the long idle government shipping 
board boats had been chartered by various com- 
panies, and they hoped to be able to accommodate 
all the travel. 

On inquiring around they learned that Margaret 
and her sister Helen were anxious to go and would 
be glad to join if a number were going together, 
also Gertrude Enbright, and quite a number of 


HIS RETURN 151 


others. Before the time came to start twenty-two in 
all joined their party. They were nearly all from 
the same church, and promised to be a very congenial 
band. 

They managed to secure passage on the “Ruric,” 
sailing Wednesday, the 29th. It was a shipping 
board boat and they barely managed to get accom- 
modation for all by crowding their staterooms to 
capacity and putting up with some inconveniences. 
They could book only to London, and must make 
their further arrangements from there. 

Norton naturally felt considerable anxiety at see- 
ing Margaret starting off on such a long and trying 
journey, but imperative business in the bank would 
make it impossible for him to join the party, or to 
make the trip for some time. He found later that 
he would be able to get off in about three weeks, and 
made arrangements to go at that time,securing pas- 
sage on a boat that sailed direct to Naples. Helen’s 
experience in the war work campaign had made her 
pretty expert in travel and in negotiating the condi- 
tions of foreign countries, so their father, somewhat 
reluctantly, consented to let them go. Gertrude 
also felt safe because her Aunt Isabel from New 
York was going to sail on the same steamer for 
Europe. 

It was learned later that several others of their 
friends had decided to go, but they did not make 
application for passage till the beginning of the 


152 HIS RETURN 


week, and they found everything by that time filled 
up and no passage possible on any boat for over two 
weeks. The party, however, got off safely Tuesday 
night, and were ail comfortably on board the 
steamer before the hour of sailing Wednesday. 


IX 


After the prayer meeting that Wednesday night 
a little company again gathered in the pastor’s study 
to talk over the great events. The Thompsons had 
been in the little group two weeks ago. All won- 
dered how far they were now on their journey. 
Judge Porter and Mr. Enbright were rather quiet, 
thinking of their daughters. 

“Our company was smaller tonight,” said the 
Judge. 

“Tt will be smaller still,” said Enbright. “I know 
of quite a number who are going as soon as they can 
get their affairs in shape to leave.” 

“Some of us will find it quite impossible to get 
away, said the pastor. “I suppose we should give 
our congratulations and offer all assistance to the 
fortunate ones who are free enough to go.” 

“Yet one can not but feel some anxiety when his 
own are away on such a journey, with so many un- 
certainties and dangers,” said the judge. 

“They all seemed so eager, and so full of happy 
anticipations. I hope that nothing may happen to 
bring disappointment.” 


HIS RETURN 158 


“Let us not begin to borrow trouble, and yet it 
did seem to me that they were expecting a good 
deal.” 

“Yes. Each one of them was looking forward to 
personal fellowship with Jesus, having long and inti- 
mate talks and walks with Him. They did not seem 
to realize how many others would be there expecting 
and seeking that same thing.” 

“That will be the trouble. See how many have 
already gone from our one town of Brockton. Al- 
most every city and town in the whole county may 
be expected to send a proportionate number, and 
everyone that goes is Just as eager to be with Jesus 
and enjoy His company and fellowship as our 
friends are.”’ 

“I am afraid that even we do not fully appreciate 
what an enormous crowd of people there will be 
mere.) 

Mr. Williams, who was present, could not help 
but think of his own tragedy in the factory and the 
hopeless appeal to the Messiah for a decision. 

“It looks,” said he, “as if there might be disap- 
pointment, too, for those who are expecting Him 
to correct all the ills and straighten out all the tan- 
gles of society.” 

“That is rather a serious question to you just now, 
is it not?” 

“T am afraid we are all expecting too much,” said 
Enbright. “He will be able to decide disputes be- 


154 HIS RETURN 


tween nations, settle national boundaries and such 
great general problems, but the things that really 
affect us are the little local affairs of our own com- 
munity, of our own business or social life, such 
things as corrupt police, bad sewers, graft, crime, 
business fraud, labor disputes, traffic rules, postal 
facilities, health regulations and all the rest. It is 
all these things that we run up against every day, 
the small problems daily facing us right here, and 
there are so many thousands of separate communi- 
ties with separate problems and needs in each one 
of them.” 

“T suppose, then, you would say that a common, 
fallible judge or city council right here and on the 
job would mean more than an infallible judge and 
sovereign eight thousand miles away, with the whole 
world clamoring for His services.” 

“Yes, the world is too big for any person to rule 
it all by human forms of government. The ‘King- 
dom of Heaven’ was to succeed, not by visible au- 
thority—‘Lo here’ or ‘Lo there,’ but by operating 
‘Within you,’ and changing men’s hearts, as Jesus 
said.” | 

“And that raises another question,” said Dr. 
Wharton. “I am afraid we will seem to be getting 
rather critical, and yet I cannot help but ask myself: 
“With all this wholesale conversion of the heathen 
nations, how much real change of heart has there 
been in any of the people concerned? ”’ 


HIS RETURN 155 


x 

About this time the whole world was startled by 
a most frightful and stupendous tragedy. The 
great city of Moscow was totally destroyed by an 
air attack with bombs of poison gas. 

It may be remembered that when the council in 
Constantinople decreed that all the Moslem world 
should follow the Messiah Jesus, they commanded 
all the faithful to arm for a crusade to bring the 
world under His power. Practically ail the nations 
voluntarily submitted, except Russia, with its Bol- 
shevik government in Moscow. It did not. There 
was thus no call for their crusade elsewhere, but here 
was something they could do. Here was one field 
where they could win merit for faithfulness, and at 
the same time indulge their fierce passion for 
slaughter. 

Among other instruments of destruction that sci- 
ence furnished during the war was poison gas. It 
was known that great advance had since been made 
in its deadliness and in the wide range of its effec- 
tiveness, but it was hardly appreciated how much 
advance. The Turks in Constantinople, employing 
German experts, had developed a gas so deadly that 
a few hundred cubic feet of it would devastate a 
square mile. 

They had constructed fifty bombing airplanes of 
the largest type and widest cruising range. Load- 
ing these with the deadly gas bombs, they had been 


156 HIS RETURN 


able to cruise quietly toward the north without arous- 
ing much suspicion, and early on the morning of the - 
29th they managed to reach the city of Moscow. 
Flying over it in regular formation, they dropped 
their bombs all over the city with the most deadly 
effect. 

The whole city was slaughtered almost like one 
man. The results were horrible beyond description. 
The people were taken by surprise. They rushed 
out of their houses only to be met by deadlier fumes 
in the streets, and writhing and struggling in their 
anguish, lay piled up in ghastly, tangled heaps of 
distorted corpses. A number of incendiary bombs 
were also carried, and with these the city was set on 
fire, and with no one alive to combat it, the whole 
city was burned over. Out of a population of nearly 
a million, only a few hundreds were left alive, and 
they were too frightened to send out any word, so it 
was not till next day that the news reached the world. 

The Turkish adventurers, on their return, sent a 
report to the Messiah that they had visited judgment 
on the infidels in Moscow. But He received the 
report with intense indignation and sent back a stern 
reproof: 


“Put up the sword again into its sheath. All they 
that take the sword shall perish by the sword. The Son of 
Man came not to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.” 


PART V 


The multitude cometh together so 
that they could not so much as eat bread 
Mk. 6:20. 


PART V 
I 


Meanwhile the Thompsons were proceeding on 
their way. ‘They had had a quiet trip across the At- 
lantic, arriving in Liverpool Wednesday night and 
taking an early train next morning for London. 
The train was crowded, with more passengers get- 
ting on at every stop. At several places they saw 
companies of fifty or sixty getting on together, bear- 
ing badges and banners showing that they were go- 
ing together to Jerusalem. At London the hotel 
at which they had expected to stay was filled, but 
they managed to find rooms at another nearby, 
though at a much higher rate. 

The first thing was to arrange for the remainder 
of the journey. Mr. Thompson started out early 
next morning, but found “Cooks” and the other 
tourist bureaus all crowded. It was more crowded 
at the regular ticket agencies, or “booking offices,” 
as they call them there. After standing in line for 
over an hour at one of the tourist agencies, they told 
him there that they could sell him transportation as 
far as Naples, but beyond there could furnish only 
an order on the steamship company for the passage 
to Port Said or Jaffa, and could not insure him a 
reservation. He would have to take his chances at 

158 


HIS RETURN 159 


the local office there. This was disappointing, yet 
it seemed the best that could be done, so he bought 
only the railroad tickets to Naples. But everything 
had been extremely high, and by the time all bills 
were paid they found they had used nearly $1000.00 
and had only $1600.00 left for the remainder of the 
journey, the stay in Jerusalem and the return. 

The trains were crowded again, though run in 
two sections. Crossing the channel Mrs. Thompson 
and one of the boys were quite upset, though they 
had had no trouble all the way on the Atlantic. 
When they arrived at Calais there was such a crowd 
that they nearly missed the train, but finally got 
aboard and arrived in Paris late in the evening. 
They were all very tired and thought they had better 
wait till morning before going on. It was difficult 
to find a hotel that could take them in, and the rate 
was exorbitant, but after a good night’s rest they 
got an early start to take the 9:30 train south. 

The crowd at the station here was the worst yet. 
The immense platform was jammed with waiting 
passengers. The train pulled out before they could 
get anywhere near it. But they learned that it was 
to go in several sections at half-hour intervals. It 
was the same with the second section. By the time 
the third section was ready they had worked their 
way pretty well to the front and were just about to 
get on when they found that James, the second boy, 
was missing. He had got shoved aside somewhere 


160 HIS RETURN 


in the great crowd and was nowhere to be seen. It 
was some time after the train pulled out before they © 
found him, crying and terribly frightened. 

This was perhaps a fortunate accident for them, as 
when the next section came they were able to get 
seats. Still, the train was crowded. All trains were 
slow. It was late the second night before they ar- 
rived in Naples. - 

They had paid a porter a big fee in Paris to put 
their trunk on the train, as they could not see to it 
themselves in the great crowd, and the railroads 
have no baggage checking system. When they ar- 
rived they found mountains of baggage piled up in 
the baggage sheds, but several hours’ search failed 
to find any trace of theirs. Whether it had gone 
astray or the porter had never put it on the train, 
they could not say, but though they came back sev- 
eral times to search they never got any trace of it 
and were obliged to make the rest of the Journey 
with what hand baggage they were carrying. 

There was the same difficulty, only ten times 
worse, to get a place to stay in Naples, but they 
finally succeeded in getting a very poor place at a 
rate that made them hope they would not have to 
wait long for a steamer. They were glad they had 
elected to buy their passage only to Naples, as it left 
them free to go on by any means that offered. The 
traffic was so enormous that the passenger service 
of the regular companies was supplemented by all 


HIS RETURN 161 


the extra steamers that could be secured from any 
source, and every company of any kind that had a 
cargo boat or anything that would float was carry- 
ing passengers. ‘The rates charged were enormous, 
but the crowds were inexhaustible and must go. 
There were some boats to Port Said, and from 
there the traveler could take the little railroad that 
the English built during the war, up to Palestine. | 
There were the regular boats around the Levant 
and on down the coast to Palestine. All the new 
and improvised boats took passengers direct to Jaffa. 

After waiting over a week they were finally able 
to secure passage on one of the latter, an old freight 
boat that had been fitted up in primitive style. But 
they were glad to get anything. It had been a long 
and trying journey and it was with a supreme sigh 
of relief that they at last found themselves on board 
for the final big stage of the long journey, which 
would land them in a few days at the port of Jaffa, 
from which the railroad runs right up to Jerusalem. 


II 


The morning papers of July Ist came out with 
an announcement which quite took people’s breath: 


Aaron Isaacson of New York Has Been Appointed by the 
Messiah Supreme Administrator of the 
United States 
Why it should have startled everyone so was not 
very reasonable. All had agreed that the divine 


162 HIS RETURN 


Messiah from heaven should be supreme ruler of the 
world, and that our country should come under His 
rule. It should have been realized that if He was 
ruler, He would rule, and of course must appoint 
for every region and country suitable agents and 
officials to represent Him and effect the details of 
government. Yet it came as a distinct shock when 
our democratic forms of government were super- 
seded and someone was appointed over us to gov- 
ern us. 

Nor should it have seemed strange that the ap- 
pointed man should be a Jew. It was counted a 
truism by all those who studied the Bible prophecies 
that at Christ’s second advent the Jews, converted 
and reconciled, would be restored to their old place 
in God’s favor, and to a place of glory and prestige 
in the world’s affairs. 

This Mr. Isaacson, though a Jew, was as much 
an American citizen as any other man in the country, 
and his father and grandfather before him. He 
was a man of prominence and ability, president of 
two banks and of the large “Marx and Isaacson 
Company,” manufacturers of men’s clothing. He 
was a director of the Hebrew Charities Associa- 
tion of New York, and a liberal contributor to it, 
and every way a man of most excellent and exem- 
plary personal character. Why, then, was not his 
appointment perfectly appropriate? There are 
over 1,500,000 people of the Jewish race in New 


HIS RETURN 168 


_ York City, and they are said to now own nearly half 
the real estate in the city. 

Newspaper comment on the appointment was, for 
the most part, extremely reticent and neutral. But 
by its very correctness of language and attitude it 
gave an impression of gloom and suppressed hos- 
tility. It would be unwise to express opposition 
openly unless there was some possibility of effective 
result, especially as no one knew what punishment 
the infinite power behind this appointment might 
inflict on any open, public resistance. 

The effect on Jewish citizens all over the country 
was immediate and very marked. Some it made in- 
solent. To all it gave an air of aggressive conceit 
and masterfulness. This was the day for which 
their race had been patiently waiting through all 
the weary centuries of oppression and injustice. 
Despised, hated and abused, now the tables would 
be turned and they would be seated in places of 
power and could look down on other men and lay 
a heavy hand upon their former oppressors. 

There are over four million Jews in the United 
States, a large proportion of them wealthy and all 
of them above the average in ability and efficiency. 
The future looked bright before them. Everywhere 
they met together in their synagogues and assem- 
bling places, chanted the triumphant passages from 
the prophecies and psalms, and read the closing 
chapters of the book of Esther, where the Jews had 


164 HIS RETURN. 


such a glorious triumph over all the enemies that 
had hated them. . 

It afterward appeared that this announcement — 
was erroneous. When the official notice came a few 
days later it was found that Mr. Isaacson had only 
been appointed fiscal agent, director of finance and 
taxation. The man appointed director of civil af- 
fairs was Francis Daudet, an eminent Swiss jurist 
from Berne. He had lived in the United States for 
several years and was well acquainted with its needs 
and customs, and besides had represented his coun- 
try in the diplomatic service in several of the large 
capitals of Europe. He could thus bring to his im- 
portant task a mind well versed in international 
affairs and a broad knowledge in all civil and social 
lines. 

III 
(From the special correspondent of the Associated 
Press, J. Norman Kendricks.) 


Jerusalem, July 3.—It is just three weeks since the 
_ Messiah descended, and, although it has all now become an 
old story and the first noisy excitement has somewhat sub- 
sided, yet the intense interest and the pressure of the dense 
masses of people that crowd the streets have not abated, 
but seem increasing every day. 

“When the Messiah appears the miraculous light still 
beams from His person and clothing, in a lesser degree also 
from the twelve companions and from the building. The 
twelve apostles have established themselves in the twelve 
auxiliary apartments flanking the main audience chamber, 


HIS RETURN 165 


and are there effecting some kind of an organization of those 
who register themselves as descended from each of the twelve 
tribes of the Israelites. ‘These Hebrews by the thousand 
are arriving every day from Russia and all the other coun- 
tries of Europe and the Near East, intoxicated with golden 
dreams of restoration to their ancient glory and power. 

What impresses one most is the enormous crowds of 
people, though “crowds” seems an entirely inadequate word 
to describe the jam and crush of seething humanity that 
fills all the city and swarms over all the contiguous hills. 

Several elements account for the vast numbers. In the 
first place, pious persons of the lower classes, and special- 
ly orientals, have always been very fond of pilgrimages, 
and go in great throngs to sacred places, even in normal 
times. In the Greek and Latin countries of Europe, the 
pious, superstitious peasants crowd the places hallowed by 
special relics or by accounts of miracles. This miraculous 
event makes an enormous appeal to such persons. All roads - 
in every direction are blocked with these tramping multi- 
tudes and the city and country for miles around is simply 
blockaded. With them are the sick, blind and maimed, also 
great numbers of lepers. All.of these that can succeed in 
forcing themselves into the Messiah’s presence are kindly 
received by Him, and He spends several hours every day 
laying His hands on them and healing irene but the num- 
bers seem quite inexhaustible. 

Next, there is the enormous number of Ae peo- 
ple of the middle and upper classes, who have an intelli- 
gent idea of the meaning of the Messiah’s advent, and 
come with a sincere appreciation of His person and a de- 
sire to come into fellowship with Him. These are coming, 
in numbers constantly increasing day by day, as there is 
time to arrive from farther and farther localities. They 
require to be housed and sheltered. Hotel facilities were 


166 HIS RETURN 


long ago exhausted. Private houses and buildings of all 
kinds were brought into use at exorbitant prices, but that 
resource also has been exhausted. I don’t know what the 
people can do, and they are arriving by the tens of thou- 
sands daily. I know many that are paying $100.00 a day 
just for a place to sleep, and of others that have been un- 
able to find a place at any price. As there are perhaps one 
or two hundred million people of that grade in the world 
who would be intensely pleased to see the Lord Jesus, it is 
likely that at least several millions of them have made their 
plans to come or are already on the way, a considerable 
part of these hoping to remain permanently or at least 
spend considerable time in the company of their Lord. 

_A third element is the vast number that are here to get 
some political appointment. Think of the most thronged 
era of office seeking in Washington, and multiply the num- 
bers by hundreds, and the intensity, scheming and maneuver- 
ing almost in the same proportion. It is well that the 
Messiah has divine wisdom if He is to sift anything re- 
spectable and reliable out of all this. 

He is gradually making a beginning at getting the ma- 
chinery of administration organized. He spends the 
greater part of every day in this organizing work and in 
conferences of all kinds connected with it. Twice every 
day He comes out to a platform above one of the Haram 
gates, and makes an address to the people, but so great is 
the mixture of races in the crowds that only a small pro- 
portion can understand Him, no matter what language He 
uses. 

Clashes and fighting in the streets are very common, espe- 
cially between different races or religious sects. Any 
police control is quite impossible in such a crowd. Of 
course the criminal element are here in force, and no one 
can tell what nameless crimes and cruelties are perpetuated 


HIS RETURN 167 


all around on the defenseless strangers. Fortunately the 
weather has been perfect, and no fire or other serious acci- 
dent thus far occurred. 


IV 


Elsie and all her party, as we said, reached their 
boat, Wednesday, in good time and without any 
mishaps. This was one of the boats that had been 
used in the transport service during the war and 
had been hurriedly refitted for passenger service. 
It had none of the elegance and splendor of the 
regular liners, but it was very comfortable, though 
somewhat crowded, and not very fast. Most of 
the passengers were on the same errand as them- 
selves, and they soon became a congenial company, 
and many close friends were made. All were in- 
spired by the same thoughts and hopes. 

Every evening a service was held in the wide 
dining saloon, of a social and religious character, 
and all day little knots would gather in cozy corners 
all about the ship to read their Bibles together and 
talk of the great joy they soon expected to have. 
The familiar stories had so much more interest when 
they felt that in a few days it was all going to be 
real to them. They themselves might walk with 
Jesus by the Sea of Galilee and hear Him speak 
some new parables, might stand beside Him while 
He cured some leper or opened some blind man’s 
eyes. He might possibly give them some new sto- 
ries, not in the Bible, about the wonderful things 


168 HIS RETURN 


which He had done, or possibly even tell them some- 
thing new about the life in the world that is beyond. 

Some hinted at tragedies that had come into their 
own lives or homes, and said that, like the Syro-Phoe- 
nician woman, they were going to kneel before Jesus 
and refuse to leave till He should speak the divine 
words that would heal their trouble. 

When the wind stirred up just a little sea one 
day, they talked of the disciples in the boat on the 
lake, and wondered if some day they might be out 
on the same lake and Jesus would come to them the 
same way. One earnest-faced man used to read 
the story of Zacchaeus to them and say that he was 
going to stand before Jesus and make the same 
promise to go home and distribute half his wealth 
to the poor. There were some that said they were 
going to actually put their fingers into the nail 
prints in His hands and feet. Elsie never had much 


to say, but she felt sure she would have long and - : 


delightful talks with the One who said: “Suffer the 
little children to come unto Me.” 

The weather was perfect all the way, and on the 
twelfth day they drew up to the great floating docks 
at Liverpool, and all were eager to go ashore and © 
get on with their journey. All got trains for Lon- 
don, though there were several other steamers in 
the same day, and all trains were crowded, and run 
in several sections without any stops. 

As soon as they arrived in London they began to 


HIS RETURN 169 


see the great congestion into which they were com- 
ing, and wisely decided it would be useless to try to 
keep their company of twenty-two all together, so 
divided up into four or five groups, yet trying to 
make some provision to keep in touch that they 
might be able to get together later. Elsie and Ruth, 
Margaret and her sister Helen, and Gertrude En- 
bright kept together as one group. 

They also could only get reliable transportation 
as far as Naples, and their experiences were very 
much like those of the Thompsons, only more diffi- 
cult as it was a week later and the crowds were 
greater. Arriving in Paris, even their small group 
got separated and scattered by the immense crush 
in the great railroad station. By the merest acci- 
dent they later caught sight of each other and got 
together again. All hotels were crowded, but the 
management of one found accommodation for them 
in private houses for their stay over night, to start 
south on an early train. 

By seven o’clock in the morning they were at the 
station, but though trains were dispatched every 
half hour it was twelve before they could succeed 
in getting aboard one. Even then they could not all 
get the same car, and it was so crowded that they 
merely had room to sit, and were nearly exhausted 
by the end of the long journey. 

It was the morning of the second day when they 
arrived at Naples. By this time their minds were 


170 HIS RETURN 


prepared to expect every place to be intensely 
crowded, but they were not prepared for the unex- 
pected accident that occurred and separated them 
permanently, as they had neglected to agree on a 
meeting place for such an emergency. 

Just as their train was pulling into the big station 
something went wrong which threw the engine off 
the track and resulted in some kind of an explosion. 
It was nothing that did any particular damage, but 
it made a loud noise in the inclosed place, and sent 
up a great cloud of steam, and everyone was terribly 
frightened. It started a panic and a great stam- 
pede. All rushed from the cars. The great crowd 
on the platform hustled them about and many were 
trampled and killed or injured in the mad rush to 
escape from the building. 

Our friends were hopelessly separated. Fortu- 
nately none of them were seriously injured, though 
they lost much of their baggage in the crush. Mar- 
garet and Helen managed to keep together, but 
lost a handbag in which were their passports and all 
their money. Ruth and Elsie also kept together 
though they were a good deal bruised and disheveled, 
and also lost much of their baggage. 


Vv 


When Margaret and her sister had extricated 
themselves from the worst of the crush and got to 
a place of safety, they began to take inventory of 


HIS RETURN 171 


their condition. They had escaped with their lives, 
and without serious injury, and that was some- 
thing to be devoutly thankful for. But, on the 
other hand, here they were, strangers in a strange 
city, without money, and in a place so crowded that 
even with a full purse they would have found 
great difficulty to get along. They knew enough 
to understand the ghoulish perils that swarm in 
all such great crowds. If they should apply to 
anyone for assistance it would only reveal their 
defenseless condition and might deliver them into 
the power of some devils. 

Their first instinct was to get away from the 
crowds. They would go out to some quiet place 
in the country and there have time to think. They 
started in a direction that they thought would lead 
them out, but soon found themselves inextricably 
entangled in a maze of crooked streets and dingy 
bazaars. Every few minutes some woman would 
snatch at them and try to drag them into her shop 
to buy, or some fierce, evil looking man would leer 
at them with an air that said he knew they were 
lost and in his power. 

Trying their best not to look frightened, they 
hurried on, only to get deeper into the labyrinth. 
Turning into a narrow street, they came on a man 
leading a donkey and cart with some fruit and 
vegetables. It was so narrow they almost brushed 
against him, and as soon as they were past, the 


172 HIS RETURN 


man turned, and they saw that he was following | 
them, calling and gesticulating. They were afraid . 
to run, for it would show their fright. So they 
walked on as fast as they could, but the man kept 
following, calling out “Americana, Americana, 
Little Sister,” and at last to their astonishment they 
heard the name “Helena, Helena.” Surprised, 
they turned and saw the man with a broad grin 
on his face, and bobbing and bowing with great 
earnestness. 

“It is the Americana. It is the Little Sister, 
Helena, is it not?” 

“Yes, that is my name, but who are you?” said 
Helen. 

“Do you not know me?” 

“Perhaps I do, but I can not place you at this 
moment.” 

“Do you not remember Murillo?” 

“I have Se Nae a name, but I can not now 
recall who you are.’ Bod,’ 

“Do you not remember the hospital at Turin, | 
and the poor boy you nursed back to life, like a 
very angel of light?’ | 

Suddenly there flashed before Helen’s mind long 
rows of beds in a crowded army hospital, and on 
one cot the pale face of a mere boy who had touched 
her sympathy because of the brave fight he was 
making against pain and wounds. Every day she 
had found time to stop and talk with him a few 


HIS RETURN 173 


minutes and to bring him pictures and interesting 
things. Very probably her cheer and sympathy 
did help him to hold onto life, and he was conva- 
lescent and almost ready to leave when she was 
transferred to another hospital. 

“Are you that little Murillo, who lay so long in 
the army hospital?’ 

“Yes, I am that same Murillo, but I am grown 
so big now I suppose you did not know me.” 

“No, I did not know you. But I know you now, 
and I am ever so happy to see you again.” 

“And you, I am glad that you have come to my 
beautiful Italy again. But how do you come to 
be here in this wretched place? It is hardly safe 
for strange ladies here alone.” 

“I am afraid it is because we are lost. We got 
into this tangle of streets, and the more we tried 
to get out the farther in we got.” 

“Where are you staying in the city?’ 

“We are not staying anywhere.” 

And then she told him how they had got caught 
in the crush at the station, separated from their 
friends and lost all their money and baggage, and 
had no means to get any place to stay. 

“Ah, that is all right,” said Murillo. “Now I 
will be able to do something for you. You must 
come home and stay with us. You will not find 
any room in the city, itis socrowded. I havea little 
_garden and house up on the mountain side where 


174 HIS RETURN, 


I am living with my mother and sister. They will 
be so happy to see you and thank you for all you 
did for me.” 

It did not require much persuading, and guided 
by their new-found friend they were soon out of the 
labyrinth and winding their way along the pleasant 
paths up the mountain side. At the door of a little 
vine-covered cottage an old woman and a younger 
one were waiting for Murillo. When he told them 
in his warm Italian intensity who these strangers 
were and what one of them had done for him, the 
old lady threw her arms around them, and the 
younger one hurried into the house to make ready 
for them. They knew that their troubles were over 
and that they were sure of a resting place with love 
and protection till they could communicate with their 
father at home and get more permanent relief. 

A rather suggestive incident happened one day 
while they were there. Murillo, it seems, was dili- 
gently studying English with the hope of going to 
America, and they were doing what they could to 
assist him. One day he came to them with his Eng- 
lish lesson book, in which he was just then studying 
that story of the gentle shoemaker who was told 
that on a certain day he would see Jesus. One after 
another unfortunates came to his door, and he was 
so busy helping them all day that at night he grieved 
to think that Jesus must have come when he was 
out and he had missed him. But in a dream at night 


HIS RETURN 175 


the Lord showed him that it had been Jesus Him- 
self that he had been feeding, clothing, guiding and 
helping all day. 

They read it and explained it to him, and when 
he had gone, Margaret said: 

“Isn’t it strange that he should happen to bring 
us just that story? If we don’t get to Jerusalem 
after all, maybe you have already met with Jesus 
and truly spent many days with Him in the hos- 
pitals, bringing cheer and help to the beds of suffer- 
ing.” 

Gertrude seemed the most unfortunate of all, for 
in the great crush and confusion she got separated 
off entirely alone. She stayed about the station 
for several hours, hoping that she might yet find 
some of her friends there. Failing in that, she 
started out to find some place to stay. All fore- 
noon she went about to hotels and pensions, only to 
get the invariable answer: 

“All full. Impossible to do anything for you.” 

Tired and hungry, she at last stoppeu in at an 
eating place and with difficulty found a seat at a 
crowded table. As she was eating she saw on a 
counter nearby what she thought looked like a city 
directory. This put an idea into her head. She 
knew that her uncle John’s firm had a number of 
branches and correspondents in Europe, and there 
might possibly be one in Naples. Sure enough, that 
was the nature of the book, and hunting through it 


176 HIS RETURN 


she at last found among the advertisements of hard- 
ware merchants, “Pietro and Salverini,” and noted 
that they were “Agents for John Mills and Sons, 
London and New York.” | | 
She lost no time in hunting them up. Mr. Pietro 
had been in New York and knew her uncle, and she 
had no difficulty in identifying herself. He was 
extremely kind, and took her to his home where his 
wife and three children received her graciously and 
made her a welcome guest till she had time to con- 
sider her situation carefully and decide that the 
wisest course was to return home as soon as possible. 


VI 


We left the Thompsons on the ship approaching 
the shores of Palestine. As the distant land came 
into view they were moved by deep emotion. 

“Just beyond those hills in the distance lies the 
city of Jerusalem, and there the Lord Jesus from 
heaven is now staying. It is really as though a 
piece of heaven had come down to this earth. And 
we shall see Him. In only a few hours now we shall 
bow before Him, kiss His hands and His feet, and — 
tell Him what trials and hardships we have had in 
coming to meet Him, but now that we see His face 
itis all forgotten. And He will listen to it all kindly, 
smile upon the boys and lay His hand upon their 
heads. Only a few hours now till all the hopes of 
a lifetime will be fulfilled.” 


HIS RETURN 177 


They went down to their cabins for the last time 
to put on their best clothes and get their baggage 
ready to disembark. 

There is no real harbor at Jaffa, and the ships 
have to anchor in the offing. As the weather was 
perfectly calm the ship was able to come up within 
about a quarter of a mile of the shore. It was some 
little time before half a dozen little native boats 
came out to the ship to take the passengers ashore. 
There was a great rush for the gangway stair to be 
the first to get off, but they were met by the demand 
for $5.00 apiece for landing, and it must be paid 
down before they could get into the boats. It was 
an outrage, and a wave of indignation swept through 
the crowd. They all declared they would not pay it, 
and loudly berated the boatmen for their greed. 

There were eight or ten other steamers in the 
anchorage, and the boatmen all cooly turned. and 
rowed off to one of them. Shouts and threats, and 
even offers to pay the price, were of no efiect. They 
rowed away, and the ship was left alone. An hour 
passed, and two hours, but no relief. At last a boat 
was seen coming back toward them, and as it came 
up the boatmen shouted: 

“What are you going to do?” 

‘Bring the boats back, and we will pay the $5.00,” 
they shouted back. 

“Too late,” he said, “‘the price is $10.00 now.” 

Again there was a howl of indignation, and the 


178 HIS RETURN 


boat turned and started to row away again. Now 
they were frightened. It was “highway robbery,” 
but what could they do? They were at the mercy of 
the boatmen and perfectly helpless. Better yield 
before the demand went higher. They shouted to 
the boat to come back and they would pay their price 
of $10.00. Soon a fleet of twenty or thirty boats 
were swarming around the ship, and in a couple of 
hours all were safely on the shore. But only the 
people; there was no room for the baggage in the 
little boats. That must be left to be sent ashore later 
in a barge. 

By the time that was ashore and, after a great 
scramble, everyone had found his own things, it was 
nearly night. Trains were running on the little 
railroad, but one glance at the waiting crowds 
showed that there was no hope there for that night. 
Equally hopeless was the prospect of finding a hotel 
or any lodging place at which to stay. But they 
had been able to sit up all night on the train, so per- 
haps they could now. There were some big sheds 
and warehouses into which many people were crowd- 
ing for shelter, so they found a place there and 
stretched out on their steamer rugs and baggage. 

They had a lunch on the ship before leaving, and 
had smuggled a few biscuits away for fear the boys 
might be hungry. They managed to buy some fruit 
and black bread of venders for a big price, and with 
that managed to get along till morning. 


HIS RETURN 179 


Very early they went over to the railroad station, 
but the crowd there was already even worse than the 
night before. It was quite evident that that was 
utterly hopeless. Presently a man with a native cart 
appeared and offered to take them up to Jerusalem 
in his cart for a price that at first seemed preposter- 
ous. But remembering the experience with the 
boatmen they decided it would be best to agree at 
once. He brought his cart around and demanded 
to receive the money before he would start. As 
mildly and respectfully as possible they suggested 
that it would be fairer to pay half now and the other 
half when they arrived, as he had their baggage to 
insure his pay, and they had nothing to insure him. 
The man was rather honest at heart and agreed to 
this. 

It was a long journey, though the man made his 
best time so as to get back for another fare. He 
treated them very fairly, and helped them to buy 
some things to eat on the way. The roads were 
crowded all the way with people on foot, on camels 
and donkeys, and in every kind of conveyance. The 
cart was without springs, and the roads rough, and 
they traveled far into the nights, with only an impro- 
vised place to sleep in a shed by the wayside. They 
were pretty well exhausted when about ten o’clock 
of the third day they came in sight of the city, and 
were set down in the suburbs outside one of the west- 
ern gates. 


180 HIS RETURN 


All the streets and open places were crowded with 
campers even there. A little searching and inquiry 
convinced them of the utter uselessness of trying to 
find a hotel or lodging house of any kind. After 
waiting there for three or four hours in deeper and 
deeper despair, a man came to them and for a large 
sum offered to find them a place to stay. Their 
state was nearly_desperate, but they compromised 
with him for a still outrageous sum and started to 
follow him. 

He led them through crooked streets and alleys, 
and into a dingy court surrounded by native houses. 
In one of these there was a room with grimy win- 
dows and improvised bed and pallets for sleeping. 
They could all stay in this room for $20.00 apiece, 
per day. At first they were disgusted and indig- 
nant, but as they came along they had seen well 
dressed, intelligent looking people staying in houses 
of the same character, and they finally decided that 
they had better close the bargain. 


VII 


This was the end of their long journey, and they 
were now in Jerusalem. But they had not yet got 
to the place where Jesus was. That was within the 
walls at the eastern side, more than a mile away. 
In the great crowd and tangle of the streets they 
thought they had better not all venture forth at first, 
but Mr. Thompson had better go out on a tour of 


HIS RETURN 181 


investigation and get acquainted with the locations. 
He could also bring them in something for their 
supper, or find a place where they could go to eat. 

He started out carefully, trying to fix every turn 
and street and distinctive object in his mind. But 
it is remarkable how all the houses in an oriental 
city look exactly alike to the unaccustomed eye. He 
made little headway in the crowded streets toward 
getting up to the locality where the Messiah was, 
though he got some idea of the general direction. 
He saw and talked with many English-speaking 
people, but all apparently as helpless as himself, 
and not one that had yet been able to get a sight of 
the Messiah, though some of them had been here for 
a week or more. 

He at last found a place where he paul buy some 
black bread and some canned things, for nearly its 
weight in gold. But when he started to return he 
soon found that he was quite bewildered. He 
searched about carefully and diligently, but it was 
hard to identify anything in the darkening, un- 
lighted streets. It was ten o’clock at night before 
he finally found'the place, and his family frantic 
_ with fear and apprehension. 

Next morning they first spent some time mapping 
out streets and getting ways to identify their loca- 
tion and be able to inquire their way back if they 
should lose their bearings. | 

The question of food was a great problem. Any- 


182 HIS RETURN 


thing like an available restaurant or eating house 
they found entirely out of the question. More than 
that, the enormous number of the people to be fed 


had exhausted the resources of the country and they 


were practically in famine conditions. It was esti- 
mated that there were fully three million people in 
and about Jerusalem, where normally there were 
only about sixty thousand. ‘The whole world con- 
tains much more than a thousand million people to 
draw from, and everyone that was able had come 


here or was coming. There would yet be twenty or 


thirty million unless something stopped them. The 
best they could do was to bargain with some of the 
natives to find and furnish them each day enough 
coarse food of some kind to keep them from actual 
suffering, and at most unthinkable prices. 

We need not chronicle the details of the following 
days. Every morning they started out early to try 
to get into the city and up to Temple Hill to get 
even if it was only a glimpse from afar of the sacred 
Lord. But this was impossible. As soon as they got 
within the gates the streets were so densely crowded 
that they were almost helpless to make any progress. 
Once they did get where they thought they could see 
the top of the miraculous building, but even of this 


they were not sure. They were somewhat handi- 


capped since they must keep their little band to- 
gether, and always keep hold of the children’s hands 
lest they lose sight of each other. Once the mother 


HIS RETURN 188 


and father did get parted and had to find their sepa- 
rate ways home, but fortunately they had always 
been able to keep the children with them. 

Every morning they started early, and after 
struggling in the crowd all day came back com- 
pletely exhausted and discouraged. But next 
morning they would start out again, earlier still, by 
some other route. They could not give itup. They 
had come so far and endured so much. They had 
almost staked their lives on it. They could not go 
home without getting even a single sight of Him 
after risking so much. 

They thought if one would stay with the children 
and the other go alone he might succeed, but though 
the father managed to get a long way up through 
the city, yet he found in the last four or five hundred 
yards of the way, the streets jammed with such a 
solid, compact mass of struggling people that it 
would have been hopeless to try to make any prog- 
ress, even if he had dared to risk his life. 


Vill 


By this time they had been just a week in the city. 
Sitting down to count up their finances they were 
appalled to find that hey had just $600.00 of money 
left. Would this be enough to get them home, even 
in the cheapest and most economical way? Cer- 
tainly not if they stayed any longer, for their ex- 
penses were over $100.00 a day. It broke their 


184 HIS RETURN 


hearts, but they must go, and go at once. So they 
gave up their rooms in the morning, and another 
tenant was in almost before they were out. 

They would make one more try for one little satis- 
faction. They knew that by circling the city they © 
could get around to the Mount of Olives, from which 
they believed they could get a clear view of the 
miraculous building, though at such a distance that 
no persons or details could be clearly distinguished. 
They reached the place, but many thousands of 
others had had the same thought before them, and 
the whole hillside and every place from which there 
was an advantageous view was so filled and crowded 
that even this little pleasure was very meager and 
difficult. 

But now the worst blow of all fell. They were © 
on their way back, and in the thickest of the crowds. 
How it happened they never knew, but they were 
suddenly startled to find that Willie, the youngest 
boy, was missing and nowhere to be seen. ‘They 
called and shouted and rushed hither and thither, 
and were in danger, in the confusion, of losing all 
the rest. ‘They knew enough of crowds and lost 
people to know that in his efforts to find them he 
would be every minute getting farther and farther 
away. 

What could they do? Was there no police provi- 
sion or help for such cases? They remembered see- 
ing a little box where some British soldiers were 


HIS RETURN 185 


stationed, a short distance back. They went there to 
inquire, but the officer sadly shook his head and said 
it was impossible to do anything in such a crowd. 
Every day they had reports of missing children, but 
could do nothing. He did not tell them that it was 
reported that there were ghouls making a business 
of getting such strayed children and carrying them 
off to sell into slavery or worse. 

All day they searched wildly and (frantically, 
keeping tight hold of the remaining two, frightened 
lest they lose them or lose each other. The children 
were whimpering from hunger and from weariness 
that their little legs could no longer endure. But 
they must keep on till they found their child. They 
had now no place to stay, and even if they had, an- 
other day would so deplete their funds that they 
would not have enough to get home. 

Yet there was nothing else they could do but just 
keep up the weary, hopeless search. Their boy was 
somewhere crying and hunting for them, and they 
must stay till they found him. Sometimes they 
thought they caught a glimpse of something famil- 
iar at a distance, only to be cruelly disappointed 
when they got nearer. On and on, with the energy 
of desperation, still staggering on. But at last the 
day faded and the darkness fell and they could 
search no more. Utterly exhausted in body and mind 
they just lay down on the ground where they were 
and went dead asleep. 


186 HIS RETURN 
IX 


(From J. Norman Kendricks, special 
correspondent) 


Jerusalem, July 17.—In my last letter, a week ago, I 
said the city was crowded with visitors, but I find I was mis- 
taken. ‘The city as it then was, seems open and vacant 
compared with the dense mass that now literally jams and 
fills every nook, cranny and corner. Every day and all 
day the steady throng of visitors keeps pouring in. The 
roads for miles in every direction are filled with the moving 
throng. <A cloud of dust hangs over everything, and the 
confusion is indescribable. 

Within the walls of the Old City the narrow, crooked 
streets are almost one compact mass of struggling human- © 
ity, and in the opener spaces in the New City and suburbs © 
the crowds are only a little less dense. The slopes of Olivet © 
across the Kedron valley are black with the throngs that — 
have come there to get a view of the great miraculous pal- — 
ace, and with the hope that they might possibly sometime © 
catch a glimpse of the Messiah Himself. 

The desperate crowding is seriously interfering with 
the Messiah’s work. For a long while it has been found 
necessary to entirely exclude the crowds from the Haram © 
grounds, the old sacred mosque area, in which the great 
building is situated. All the gates in the Haram wall are 
kept closed, and no one allowed to enter. A regiment of — 
British soldiers is keeping open one narrow street, which 
leads to a little postern gate through which it is possible 
for him to have communication with the outside world, but 
only those who have passports from some recognized au- 
thority can enter by that way. 

It is rumored that selection has been made of the per- 


HIS RETURN 187 


sons who are to be the vicegerents or regents for all the 
principal nations. They are all men of sterling character 
and wide acquaintance, and will undoubtedly be conscien- 
tious in their recommendations for the personnel of the 
organizations that will be formed under them. Yet, of 
course, they are fallible men, with limitations and many 
instinctive prejudices. 

The scheming and maneuvering in the vast throngs of 
office seekers is bitter and ceaseless. It has to be discreet 
and adroit, and backed by plausible show of merit, but it 
is for that reason only the more intense. It is always so 
much easier for a clever rascal to give proof of conspicuous 
virtue than it is for the really good man to consent to ad- 
vertise his goodness. 

The immense number of people has exhausted the food 
supply, and famine conditions are beginning to become 
acute. Clashes and fighting are constantly occurring in 
the dense crowds, often with fatal results. In the fearfully 
crowded condition there is opportunity for a vast amount 
of crime, extortion and cruelty, which the authorities are 
quite powerless to prevent or punish. 

And still the crowds keep pouring in, with larger and 
larger numbers every day. 





PART VI 


Their eyes were opened and 
they knew Him. 
Lk, 24:31. 


PART VI 


I 


The time came for which Norton had engaged his 
passage to start on the trip to Jerusalem. Judge 
Porter was relying on him to find and look after his 
two daughters, and Mr. Stuart, Ruth’s father, 
hoped if it was not too much trouble he would try and 
look up Ruth also. Mr. Enbright had received a 
cable from Gertrude that she was coming home, and 
that had set them all to wondering and made them 
a little anxious. 

He had heard from Margaret several times on the 
journey, but not since they had reached Naples. He 
left word with the judge to cable him if any news 
came that he ought to hear, and the judge did cable 
him as soon as Margaret’s letters from Naples came, 
but the cable service was so disturbed and congested 
by the enormous mass of messages to the Messiah 
that the word failed to reach him. He arrived in 
Naples with no knowledge that she was so near, and 
made all speed to get on to Jerusalem. 

He saw how hopeless it was to try to get passage 
by steamer, but knew that it was possible to make 
rail connection away around by Constantinople, and 
decided that that was the most hopeful way. It took 

190 


HIS RETURN 191 


five days of most tiresome traveling, but he suc- 
ceeded in making his destination. He had heard 
enough to suspect that there might be a shortage of 
food in the city, so took the precaution to bring with 
him a considerable store of very substantial eatables. 
He wisely had little baggage and a very thick 
steamer rug, so when he arrived he was compara- 
tively independent and could camp anywhere. 

And yet when he arrived he was utterly unpre- 
pared for the crowds and congestion that he found. 
He spent two days trying to work his way upward 
toward the palace where the Messiah was, carrying 
his things as a pack on his back and sleeping where 
night overtook him. But he doubted if he ever could 
succeed, and even if he did reach the place it would 
be a rather barren satisfaction at best. He decided 
to give it up and start back home. All this time he 
was thinking of the defenseless girls that had started 
for this wild scene, and fondly hoping and praying 
that they had failed to get through or had given 
it up. And the dear old Dr. Goodyear, was he too 
somewhere in this wild maelstrom? In any case he 
could do nothing to find them. 


II 


But miracles do happen even in this twentieth cen- 
tury. He had gotten away from the Old City, out to 
the region where there were more detached villas and 
residences. Suddenly he heard a scream and some- 


192 HIS RETURN 


one calling hisname. Peering through the crowd he 
saw that it was no other but Elsie, making a frantic 
effort to get his attention and reach him. When she 
got to him she fell on the ground and gave way to 
most uncontrollable weeping. He asked her what 
was the matter, but she only said: 

“Oh, I can’t tell you. It is too terrible.” 

He lifted her up and led her away to a place where 
they could be just’a little secluded, and after a long 
time and much sincere protestation of sympathy 
she at last became more calm. 

“It’s all right,” he said. “I will get you free from 
whatever is wrong. You don’t need to tell me any- 
thing if you don’t want to. But maybe I will be able 
to help you more intelligently if I know something 
of the trouble.” 

“Yes, I will tell you everything. You are good 
and won't despise me. I know I can trust you.” 

“Be sure of that. I have known you too long to 
have any doubts of you whatever has happened.” 

“Oh! I must tell you everything, and I know you 
will pity me.’ And she broke down again in an 
uncontrollable fit of sobbing. But making a great 
effort to control her feelings, she began her story: 

“We all arrived in Naples, with what hardships 
in the great crowds you can understand for you have 
been through it. There, in the station, something 
happened that caused a panic, and we were all sepa- 
rated. I do not know where Margaret and Helen 


HIS RETURN 193 


went, but I pray every day that they may have been 
wise enough to have turned back and come no 
farther.” 

Norton’s heart sank with apprehension at this, for 
he had still had no word of their safety, and the 
worst was possible. But Elsie went on with her 
story. 

“Ruth and I managed to keep together. With 
great difficulty we found a place to stay till we could 
get passage to goon. It was a whole week before 
we could get anything, and then Ruth got a passage 
by boat to Port Said, to go up by the little English 
railroad from there. I tremble now when I think of 
the evil reputation of Port Said in normal times, and 
what must it be in times of such crowding. And I 
remember seeing a smooth but evil looking man who 
was with great politeness insisting on helping her 
with her baggage and arrangements.” 

With a shudder Norton murmured: “Poor Ruth! 
Poor Ruth?” 

“The next day I got a boat for Jaffa. I felt very 
happy for a while, and even when I landed and saw 
the state of things, I could not yet realize the truth. 
The railroad was impossible, and other conveyance 
equally so. I decided to struggle forward on foot, 
as I had lost all my heavy baggage and only had 
a little bag that I could carry in my hand. I was 
four days on the road, sleeping at night in any shel- 
ter I could find. It seems to me now that I must 


194 HIS RETURN 


have been crazy to keep on, but I had endured so 
much that I could not give up as long as there was 
the least possibility of succeeding. I have always 
been that way.” 

“Indeed you have,” said Norton. “It has been 
you and your pluck that has carried us through 
many a discouraging task both in the church and the 
Endeavor Society.” 

“Well, I arrived here at last, but on the last night, 
as I slept, someone stole my bag and all my money. 
All day I struggled to get up into the city where 
Jesus is, but the crowds were too dense, and at night 
I came back where it was a little opener to find a 
place where I could lie down to sleep. When morn- 
ing came I was still weak and exhausted. I had 
eaten nothing for more than twenty-four hours. 

‘““A man came by and spoke tome in English. He 
was evidently a Turk, but well dressed and polite. 
He saw that I was in distress and asked if he could 
do anything to help me. I thought he was someone 
sent by Providence to be my rescue. I told him all 
my story and my helpless state, without friends or 
money. He said: 

“ “Ah, I have come just in time. You will come 
with me and I will take care of you.’ | 

“He pointed to a rather pretentious villa near by 
and said: 

“There is my house. We will go there first and 
get some breakfast, for you must be hungry.’ 


HIS RETURN 195 


“You know I am perhaps apt to be too unsuspi- 
cious of others. And besides I was very hungry. I 
said: 

““Oh! Thank you very much. Jesus will reward 
you for your kindness to one of His,’ and went with 
him. He said: 

“ “Do not be anxious. I will get my reward.’ 

“After I had eaten he told me to go and get a 
good sleep. I noticed quite a number of girls of my 
own age, but they could not speak English, and I 
was too weary anyway to think much. 

“When I awoke about noon he came to me and 
told me that the only way he could help and protect 
me was by making me his wife. I was frightened 
at once but he spoke very gently and told me that all 
these others I saw he had made his wives to protect 
them. It was the custom of the country and per- 
fectly lawful. Abraham and Jacob and David and 
all the men of Bible times had many wives. Jesus 
had come now and was going to restore all the old 
Bible customs. He said I had seen how impossible 
it was to get to see the Messiah alone, but here in a 
good home, Jesus would often come and I could here 
have free and frequent fellowship with Him. 

“TI don’t know how I could have listened to even 
such pleas. My mind must have become partly 
unhinged by the troubles I had been through and the 
great final disappointment. If there was possibility 
after all of having that great hope fulfilled, and 


196 HIS RETURN 


meeting and talking with the blessed Jesus I was 
willing to give up everything, even life itself for it. 

‘Someone in official dress was brought in, a cere- 
mony was gone through, and then he said: 

““Now you are my wife. We will have a happy 
life together.’ 

“It was not long till I was undeceived. Having 
succeeded in accomplishing his purposes his manner 
quickly changed. He had saved my life and I could 
have been reconciled to be his faithful wife, even to 
be one of several wives. But even that would have 
been happiness compared to that which really fol- 
lowed. I soon wished that I had been left to die. I 
don’t know how [I lived and endured the degradation 
and shame that I was dragged through. I never 
dreamed that a human being could be so degraded 
and beastly.” 

Again she covered her face with her hands and 
gave way to heart-breaking sobs. 

‘How could any man be so heartless and inhu- 
man? All the others had been trapped in the same 
way, and one of them could not endure it but com- 
mitted suicide by jumping into a well while I was 
there. I envied her, but my religious training would 
not let me follow her. One day over the wall of a 
neighboring villa I caught sight of one of the girls 
I had made friends with on the boat coming from 
America. We called to each other and signaled, but 
someone quickly drove her away and I have not seen 


HIS RETURN 197 


her since. How many others of them there may be 
in the same state I do not know. 

“A number of stout men in the uniform of Turk- 
ish soldiers were there on the grounds to keep order 
and prevent any of us escaping. I did escape one 
day, but was quickly caught and brought back and 
subjected to worse treatment than before. But I 
must tell you the rest later. We must get away from 
here as quickly as possible, for I will be missed and 
followed.” 

Just then Norton heard her give a fearful scream, 
and looking round saw two stout, armed soldiers 
just upon them. He was no coward, and resolved to 
save her if possible. Shouting to her to run, he 
sprang at one of the soldiers, grappled with him and 
they were soon rolling and struggling on the 
ground. 

But the odds of two to one were too great, and he 
soon found himself helpless, pinned down by the 
knee of one soldier, while the other had his sharp 
scimitar raised ready to strike. He put forth a 
supreme effort to struggle free when . . 


Iif 


Ugh-h-h-h! . . . The sun was streaming into the 
room and he found himself sprawling on the floor, 
still tangled in the bedclothes that had got twisted 
around his neck, half strangling him and causing 
his nightmare. He stood up, dazed and bewildered, 


198 HIS RETURN, 


scarce knowing what to think. Could it all have 
been only a dream? Could so much have all hap- 
pened in a single night? He remembered the stories 
he had heard in the psychology class in college 
days, for instance of persons dreaming long dreams 
started by the ringing of a bell and awaking to find 
the bell still vibrating. 

He went to the window and looked out. The odor 
of life and joy was in the air and the fragrance of 
trees and flowers. It was Sabbath morning, and 
a distant chapel bell was rmging for an early morn- 
ing service. He looked about on the familiar scenes. 
There was the street, the trees, the houses, every- 
thing as it had always been. He remembered the 
sermon of the good Doctor, and his talks with Mar- 
garet about the Second Coming. Yes, it was all only 
a dream, and the good world he had always known 
was still here. Oh! Hewasso glad! So glad! He 
turned and dropped on his knees by his bedside, and 
poured out his heart in thankfulness to One whom he 
had often met and talked with there. 

He still felt a little unsteadiness as he dressed and 
went down to breakfast, and then sat down to pre- 
pare the Sunday School lesson for his bright, eager, 
restless bunch of boys. Their future, he knew, 
might be so much influenced if he could lead them to 
really know and come into touch with that divine 
Friend who had always been so much to him. 

On the steps of the church he caught sight of Elsie 


ee ee eee 


HIS RETURN 199 


just coming in for her class. Forgetting himself 
for an instant, he rushed up to her, took her hand 
and said: 

“I’m so glad to see you back again. It isso good 
to see you are all right.” In a moment he caught 
himself and looked confused and foolish. She 
looked up at him rather wonderingly. 

“Why, I haven’t been away anywhere. What 
do you mean?” - 

He laughed and said: 

“IT guess I am a little cracked this morning. It is 
just a silly dream I had last night. Perhaps I will 
tell you about it some time. But I am glad to see 
you, anyway.” 

A few minutes after, when Ruth came up the 
steps, he had to make an effort to check himself 
again. And still later, in church, he was amused to 
notice how relieved and good he felt when he saw 
the Thompsons and their three children all march 
down the aisle to their accustomed pew. 

The boys of his class never seemed quite so good 
to him, and before he got through he found that he 
had made plans for engagements and excursions of 
various kinds with them, that would take up every 
bit of spare time he could find in the week. 


IV 


It seemed so good to see the people, when the 
time for church service came, all filing into church, 


200 HIS RETURN 


and the great, wide room all filled with the reverent, 
waiting worshipers. It was the Communion Sun- 
day. The pastor read selections from that won- 
drous talk of the Master with His disciples around 
the table of the first communion. His text was from 
John 16:7: 

“Tt is expedient for you that I go away.” 


“For three years they had been privileged to live _ 
close beside Him, to see His face every day and hear © 


His voice. It was a wonderful privilege, and yet, 
He told them, if it continued it would be a hindrance 
to something better. An infant needs the comfort 
of a mother’s arms and the nourishment of a mother’s 
breast, but there comes a time when something else 
is far better for it and more profitable. Too much 
of the material, sensuous pleasure of bodily presence 
may dull the desire for higher, spiritual things. 
Only when the visible Lord was out of sight and His 
Spirit had come to teach and lead them, did those 
disciples, who had been quarreling over who should 
sit at His right and left hand in His material king- 
dom, ripen into the full stature of Apostles of 
Christ, ready to give their own lives in a service of 
love for the world. 

“Then again, in His bodily presence He could 
give fellowship only to the little circle of the Twelve. 
But He intended soon to be the close friend and 
confidant of ‘A great multitude that no man can 
number,’ come near to each of them, walk with them, 


en en i i na — ee ied 


HIS RETURN 201 


hear their troubles and give them comfort, just as 
He did to the twelve disciples. The multitude, while 
He was there, had been able to get no real touch with 
Him, and were often a barrier to those who needed 
His help and healing. It was the numbers crowd- 
ing around Him which was His great hindrance and 
problem then. What could He do with the countless 
millions now who want to have close confidential 
fellowship with Him, and who do have it now by the 
sweet companionship of His ever-present Spirit. 

“For He said He would not leave them alone. 
He said He would again come to be with them. And 
He has done so, really in a far more effective and 
precious way than by a mere material appearance to 
physical sight, although some ‘Have their eyes hold- 
en that they should not know Him.’ When He 
said, “Lo, I am with you always,’ and “Where two 
or three are gathered together in my name there am 
I in the midst of them,’ He meant what He said, 
and He meant us to believe it just as much as if we 
could see the material form of His body. 

“And we do believe it. As we are met here today, 
I am sure every one of us believes that Jesus is pres- 
ent here, just as really present as He was at that 
table where He spoke these words to His disciples. 
And so we call it a Communion, because we meet and 
commune together with our Lord, while we take 
these little tokens which He has given us to be remin- 
ders of His physical body and its sacrificial passion.” 


202 HIS RETURN 


As the officials passed around giving the emblems 
that Jesus appointed to be reminders of Him, a deep 
stillness settled over all. Very quietly and tenderly 
the softest tones of the organ breathed out some of 
that music that has so often touched our hearts: 

“Jesus, lover of my soul, let me to Thy bosom fly.” 
“T need Thee every hour, stay Thou near by.” 

Jesus was really there. In the still hush everyone 
was sure of it. It would have been no added cer- 
tainty even if they could have seen Him standing 
in the pulpit before them. He was nearer than that, 
close by their very side, right in their very hearts, 
and their whole being was flooded with His peace. 


Vv 


After the service the pastor ca'led Norton into 
his study to consult about some matters of benevo- 
lence that were to come up at the next Brotherhood 
meeting. The evening meeting was to be a song 
service, arranged by the choir, so Dr. Wharton felt 
rather relaxed, and sat and talked a little while. 

“I was rather impressed by some things you said 
in your sermon today,” said Norton. “It seemed to 
so exactly match a very peculiar dream I had last 
night.” | 

“That is interesting. What was the nature of 
your dream?” 

‘Do you believe in dreams?” 

“Not in any magical or supernatural way. But 


ee se 


oe 


HIS RETURN 203 


they are supposed to be the working of what we call 
our subconscious mind, and that is conceded to have 
some rather clever faculties.” 

“That may be so, for this dream had a rather close 
connection with part of the address that Dr. Good- 
year gave us last night.” 

“You refer to his remarks about the Second Com- 
ing of Christ?” 

“Yes, the dream was all along that line.” 

He proceeded to give the Doctor a synopsis of the 
principal events of the dream and the painful de- 
nouements into which it led. 

“T am afraid, then, that you cannot join the good 
Doctor in his eager hopes from the Second Coming.” 

“I did last night when I heard him speak. We 
were specially talking about it as we went home. 
But now I see how impossible all such anticipations 
must be.” 

“Your subconscious mind has just reasoned it all 
through to its logical and practical conclusion and 
showed you that their ideas and theories must be 
mistaken.” 

“Yes. What they look for could not be carried 
out in this kind of world.” 

They sat a moment in thought, and then Norton 
said: 

“And yet the premillenarians base their hopes 
and theories on Bible prophecies. What are we to 
do with those passages which predict such an event?” 


204 HIS RETURN. 


“Perhaps I can answer better if you tell me just 
what passages you have in mind.” 

“Well, of course, first there is the book of Revela- 
tion. What are we to do with that?’ 

“Read what the book itself at esses to give. The 
very first words say: 


“ “The revelation of Jesus Christ, to show 
to His servants things which must shortly 
come to pass.’ 


“In the last chapter, verse 10, it says: 


“Seal not the words of the prophecy, 
for the time is at hand’ 


“Similar assertions are made elsewhere through 
the book. To claim, then, that the descriptions in 
the book relate to events that have already proved 
to be farther away than the tume of Abraham, and 
three times as far away as the Crusades are from us, 
to say it calls such things ‘At hand,’ and “Things that 
must shortly come to pass,’ is simply to say the book 
falsifies. 

“Apocalypse was a very common form of writing 
in that age, using symbols just as Jesus used par- 
ables, to teach truths about God’s control and the 
certainty of His triumph. The “Thousand years,’ 
the ‘Two days and a half,’ the ‘Slain Lamb,’ the 
monstrous “Living creatures,’ and the rest, all alike 
were not literal facts but symbols to express some 
phase of truth and things that would shortly come 


—— 1 


HIS RETURN 205 


to pass. They profane a very valuable book who 
insist on an interpretation which makes it false on 
its very face.” 

“Paul gives some very strong predictions of 
Christ’s coming, does he not?” : 

“Yes, but always in such terms as to imply an end 
of earth life such as we know it. What he pictures is 
really a glorifying of the saints in heaven and a 
change of those still living to the same heavenly 
state.” 

“How about Christ’s own prediction in the 24th 
chapter of Matthew?” 

“Most of that is conceded by all interpreters to 
refer to the destruction of Jerusalem, and Christ dis- 
tinctly says it will be fulfilled in the lifetime of that 
generation. If there are other parts relating to 
what the disciples asked about, “The end of the 
world,’ Jesus said, ‘Of that day knoweth no man, 
not even the Son.’ Even He Himself in His human 
limitations did not know, so we should not assume 
to be too wise about it.” 

“There are some Old Testament prophecies of 
glory to the Jews which they say have not been ful- 
filled, and must be fulfilled by a Second Coming.” 

“There is not time now to discuss prophecy thor- 
oughly, but the Bible says distinctly, as for instance 
in Ezekiel 33:13-16, that predictions are always con- 
tingent, and if conditions change the fulfillment will 
be different. God said positively, through Jonah, 


206 HIS RETURN 


that He would destroy Nineveh within forty days, 
but He did not do it. 

“Again Paul, with all his intense patriotism, still 
insists, as for instance in Philippians 3:2,3 and else- 
where, that not the physical descendants of Abra- 
ham, but the spiritual descendants, the Christian 
Church, are the real inheritors of the great Old Tes- 
tament promises.” 


“That seems to dispose of all these, but how are 


we to get around the plain declaration of the angels 
at the ascension: 

“ “Why stand ye looking into heaven? 

“ “This Jesus shall so come in like manner as ye 
beheld Him going into heaven.’ (Acts 1:11.) 

““As to those words, ‘In like manner,’ even the 
premillenarians do not all insist that it must mean 
floating down through the air in the same way that 
He went up. And certainly the words cannot have 
that meaning, for it would make the whole passage 
self-contradictory and ridiculous: 

“ “Don’t stand looking up into the heavens expect- 
ing Jesus to come back down again, because He is 
going to come back down again just as you expect. 

“The Greek lexicons define the word when applied 
to persons to mean ‘habit, character, temper. What 
the angels then said was: ‘He has gone now from 
your view, and you can’t see Him in future. Don’t 
stand looking and hoping to have Him visibly pres- 
ent again. Yet you are going to really have Him 


HIS RETURN 207 


with you, in the same habits and character, that is, 
doing the same things for you as He did before.’ 
And is not that just what they did have?” 

“I suppose you would make a similar interpreta- 

tion of the claim that Christ shall rule the world.” 
“Surely so. Which would be more truly ‘Ruling 
the World’: To get control of national governments 
and dictate laws to parliaments like some greater 
Cesar or Napoleon or really get all men to obey 
God, by teaching and spiritual influences so change 
men’s hearts as to get them all to do right, love God 
and do His will? Which would be the more efficient 
kind of ruling, and which would really bring the 
greater benefit to men? The former would be more 
spectacular, and would appeal much more to a cer- 
tain type of men, but there is no question but the 
latter would be counted greater by Christ. 

“And that kind of rule is surely coming. Christ 
is going to rule all the world some time. Moreover, 
He has given to you and me the privilege of helping 
to bring about that universal rule. And He has 
also given us the promise that while we work for it 
He will be always with us, by our side.” 


VI 


“When Norton had met Margaret that morning 
he had thought he noticed a little curious smile pass 
over her face, and wondered if he had again uncon- 
sciously made the same impulsive break that he 


208 HIS RETURN 


made earlier with Elsie and Ruth. In the evening, 
after church, as they sat together for a little while, 
she asked him if he had noticed her smiling that 
morning, and said it was on account of a most singu- 
lar dream that she had had. It rather startled him 
when he heard this, but he thought he would wait 
and not tell her his dream till he had heard hers. 

“It was a strange, foolish dream,” said she, “‘and 
yet it left such an effect that I had a little queer 
feeling when I first saw you.” 

“TI dreamed that I was away in some foreign coun- 
try, I don’t know where. I must have been hearing 
Helen tell some of her war stories lately, for I 
seemed to be affected with something very similar 
to some of the shell shock she tells about. I was 
blinded so that I could not see, that is, I could not 
see some kinds of things, though other things I could 
see, and in most respects I was all right. Wasn’t 
that a strange condition?” 

“Strange, but not impossible,” said Norton. 
“Hypnotic operators are frequently able to produce 
that condition in their subjects. They can see every- 
thing perfectly but just certain things, and are quite 
blind to them.” 

“Well, that was my condition. I felt very help- 
less. I so wished that you would come and help me 
and bring me home, and in some way you heard of it 
and wrote me that you were coming. A few days 
later they said that you had come. Then someone 


HIS RETURN 209 


came into the room and spoke my name. I said: 
“That sounds like his voice,’ but I could not see you 
and was so disappointed, and wailed, ‘Oh! He has 
not come!’ You insisted that you were there, but 
I shrank away and continued sad and lonely. 

“You, too, were very sad, but I would not believe 
you were there, because I could not see you. All 
your entreaties were vain. I would not believe you. 
You were very kind, and did not say anything to 
chide me, but went about to make everything com- 
fortable for me. You provided for my needs, 
guided, protected and cared for me on the long jour- 
ney home. Often you would sit and talk to me in 
that dear way you have. Your voice would make 
me happy for awhile, and then I would be sadder 
than before and say: 

**“Oh, dear! I wish he would come. That voice 
makes me think of him and long for him so! I wish 
he would come that I might see him!’ 

“And so we traveled all the long way home in sad- 
ness. All my wants were supplied, and I was cared 
for in every way, but yet my heart was always full of 
loneliness because I longed to see the one I loved. 

“After many days I reached home and my dear 
father clasped me inhisarms. As I felt the pressure 
of his strong arms about me, suddenly my mind 
cleared, my malady was cured, and I could see all 
things plainly. I looked up and saw you standing 
nearby, and I cried: 


210 HIS RETURN 


‘Oh, why did you not come to help me when I 
was in trouble far away? I did want to see you so 
much!’ You looked at me very tenderly and said: 

“Darling, I did go to you. I was with you all 
the time, and you did not believe it.’ 

“Then suddenly I knew that it was true, and in 
shame for my rudeness and unbelief I felt so trou- 
bled that I awoke.” 

“That certainly was a strange dream,” said. Nor- 
ton. “Do you think it has any meaning or explana- 
tion?” , 

“You must tell me your dream first so we can see 
if they are anything alike.” 

“If, as Dr. Wharton suggests, dreams are the 
working of our subconscious minds, it is not impos- 
sible that they may both have some meaning. I will 
tell you my dream, as briefly as I can, since it is 
rather long.” 

He told the dream, and when he was through they 
both were very thoughtful for awhile. 

“That, too, is certainly a strange dream. I won- 
der if they do not both have some connection with 
our talk after the sermon we heard last night.” 


Vil 


It was some weeks later. These peculiar experi- 
ences, even though they were but dreams, could not 
fail to make much impression on their minds. Jesus 
was not to be thought of as a faraway person some 


HIS RETURN 211 


time coming back, but was right here, really present 
with us now. Should we not expect Him to have 
some real influence on our daily affairs, some leader- 
ship in our careers? Especially, must we not feel 
moved by the thrill of His companionship and the 
contagion of His life of service, to give our lives to 
more definite service for the help and uplift of 
others? It was under the spell of such thoughts as 
these that one day Norton received a letter from Mr. 
EK. B. Stevens, the congressman for their district. 
It said: 


“My Dear Norton: 

“The president is very anxious that all our foreign rep- 
resentatives, especially those to the more backward na- 
tions, should be men who will reflect the true spirit of our 
Christian civilization and make some positive helpful im- 
press upon the peoples to whom they are accredited. With 
that thought in mind he has asked me to nominate someone 
for the position of United States Consul in Bangkok, Siam. 
It is not a desirable post that anyone would seek after, but 
it is a position in which the good influence of the right 
man might count for very much. 

“T know of no one who would exert a greater influence 
for good in such a place than yourself, and I am writing 
to ask if you will accept this appointment if it is offered 
to you? I am able to very positively assure you that it will 
be offered to you if you shall signify that you are willing 
to accept. 

“Hoping for an early and favorable answer, I am, 

‘Yours very sincerely, 
“ENFIELD B. STEVENS.” 


212 HIS RETURN 


This letter and its offer came as a complete sur- 
prise to Norton. He had never had any remote idea 
of such a career. But might not this be a call from 
the Master? And if it was, he did not want to re- 
fuse. 

He first went to quietly and definitely put the 
matter before that divine counsellor and ask for 
directing. Then he said: 

“IT must take the letter to Margaret and let her 
have the final word.” 

Margaret read the letter through carefully, and 
then she looked at him with a new confidence and 
pride as she said: 

“The answer will be yes, will it not? It seems a 
long journey into strange, unknown scenes, but with 
Him we can gladly go anywhere our lives will be 
most useful. And isn’t it fine to be able to really 
feel that He is leading us?” 

Then in a lighter tone she said: 

“By the way, I have some news to tell you. Dr. 
Welton—and Gertrude—have offered themselves to 
the board for appointment, and they, too, are going 
out this fall as medical missionaries to a hospital 
right there in Bangkok.” 


THE END 


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